Ericaceae . . . . . Heather family

Shrubby plants, usually growing in boggy or impoverished heathland; either with needle-like leaves or flat tough leaves (mostly evergreen except bilberry/blaeberry).

Other genera include Gaultheria (Shallons) which are sometimes naturalised.

Choose by leaf shape/plant size from: Needle lvs, Broad lvs, Large shrubs, or Pale saprophyte with scales only :

Needle-leaved (or narrow-lvd) species:

Erica cinerea

Erica cinerea

Erica tetralix

Erica tetralix

Bell Heather

bBell Heather

Cross-leaved Heath

Cross-leaved Heath

Empetrum nigrum

Calluna vulgaris

Phyllodoce caerulea

Cornish Heath

Crowberry

Calluna

Blue Heath

Erica arborea

Daboecia cantabrica

Winter Heather

Tree Heather

St Dabeoc's Heath

Bog Rosemary

Broad-leaved (flat-leaved) species (though some lvs quite small)

Kalmia procumbens

Kalmia procumbens

Vaccinium oxycoccos

Vaccinium microcarpum

Trailing Azalea

Trailing Azalea

Cranberry

Cranberry

Vaccinium uliginosum

Vaccinium uliginosum

Vaccinium myrtillus

Vaccinium myrtillus

Northern Bilberry

Northern Bilberry

Blaeberry/Bilberry

Blaeberry/Bilberry

Vaccinium vitis-ideae

Vaccinium vitis-ideae

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Cowberry

Cowberry

Bearberry

Bearberry

Arctostaphylos alpina

Arctostaphylos alpina

Orthilia secunda

Orthilia secunda

Alpine Bearberry

Alpine Bearberry

Serrated Wintergreen

Serrated Wintergreen

Pyrola rotundifolia

Common Wintergreen

Common Wintergreen

Intermediate Wintergreen

Round-leaved Wintergreen

P. minor has stigma in flower with style parallel sided and is pinker than the bigger P. media; P. rotundifolia has curved style

Prickly Heath

Shallon

Large shrubs (growing more than 1 m):

Arbutus unedo

Arbutus unedo

Rhododendron ponticum

Rhododendron ponticum

Strawberry-tree

Strawberry-tree

Wild Rhododendron

Rhododendron

Erica arborea

Erica lusitanica

Shallon

Tree Heather

Portuguese Heath

Other possibly confused spp. include Escallonia

Andromeda . . . . Bog Rosemary

Andromeda polifolia . . . . Bog Rosemary

Local on sphagnum bogs esp. in N En

Arbutus . . . . Strawberry-tree

Arbutus unedo . . . . Strawberry-tree

In scrubland W Ire, naturalised in a few other places e.g. CI

Arctostaphylos . . . . . Bearberry

Arctostaphylos alpinus . . . . Alpine Bearberry

Very local in N & W Sc

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi . . . . Bearberry

R.H. image shows it hiding behind V. uliginosum; locally common in N of Br and Ire, esp. in N Sc

Calluna . . . . . Ling or Heather

Calluna vulgaris . . . . Ling or Heather

Abundant on heaths through BI

Daboecia . . . . . St. Dabeoc's Heath

Daboecia cantabrica . . . . St. Dabeoc's Heath

4 sepals/petals; native in W Ire but escaped from gardens elsewhere

Empetrum . . . . . Crowberry

Empetrum nigrum . . . . Crowberry

Common on peaty and rocky moors and mountains; down to sea level in Sc

E. nigrum subsp hermaphroditum . . . . Hermaphrodite Crowberry

Usually at higher altitudes (esp. N & Sc)

Erica . . . . . Heather

A number of other spp. and hybrids occur, esp. in SW En and in Ire

Tree heathers:

Erica arborea . . . . Tree Heather

A shrub to 3 m tall; fl <4mm, stigma red; a garden escape

Erica lusitanica . . . . Portuguese Heath

A similar shrub to 3 m tall; fl >4mm, stigma white; more common than the above

Erica carnea . . . . Winter-flowering Heather

The typical winter-flowering heather widely cultivated in gardens; the ridge extending from one leaf down to the next is diagnostic

Erica cinerea . . . . Bell Heather

Dry heaths throughout BI

Erica tetralix . . . . Cross-leaved Heath

Bogs and damp heaths throughout BI

Erica vagans . . . . Cornish Heath

Very local on dry heaths esp. on Lizard, but commonly cultivated

Gaultheria . . . . Prickly Heath

Gaultheria mucronata . . . . Prickly Heath

Scattered as an escape across Br

Gaultheria shallon . . . . Shallon

Scattered as an escape across Br - can be very invasive (pic 3)

Hypopitys . . . . . Bird's-nest

Hypopitys monotropa . . . . Yellow Bird's-nest

A saprophyte mainly in beech or pine woods, scattered esp. in S and W Br tho' N to C Sc and in Ire. (Photos - James Kirby)

Kalmia (was Loiseleuria) . . . . Trailing Azalea

A few other Kalmia spp. have been introduced in a few places

Kalmia procumbens . . . . Trailing Azalea

Local on acid mountains above c. 400m in Sc

Moneses . . . One-flowered wintergreen

Moneses uniflora . . . . One-flowered Wintergreen

Very local in pinewoods of NE Sc

Orthilia . . . Serrated wintergreen

Orthilia secunda . . . Serrated Wintergreen

Woods and damp rocks, local esp. from N En to N Sc

Phyllodoce . . . Blue Heath

Phyllodoce caerulea . . . Blue Heath

5 sepals/petals; rare in Mid Sc or a garden escape

Pyrola . . . . Wintergreens

P. minor has stigma not extending from flower with style parallel sided and flower pinker than the bigger P. media

Pyrola media . . . . Intermediate Wintergreen

Frequent in C and N Sc, rare elsewhere; style 4-6 mm extending from flower

Pyrola minor . . . Common Wintergreen

Woods and peaty moors scattered in most of BI; style 1-2 mm within flower

Pyrola rotundifolia . . . Round-leaved Wintergreen

Rather local

Rhododendron . . . . . Rhododendron

Rhododendron ponticum . . . . Rhododendron

Naturalised esp. in Wa and W by seeding and suckering, can be very invasive; a number of other spp. may be relics of cultivation

Vaccinium . . . . .

Note differences between V. myrtillus, V. uliginosum & V. vitis-idaea:

Vaccinium myrtillus . . . . Blaeberry, Bilberry, Blueberry

Common on heaths, moors and woodland exc. C & E En; Stems angled, lvs finely toothed

Vaccinium uliginosum . . . . Bog or Northern Bilberry

Moorland esp. N & C Sc; stems round, lvs smooth edged

Vaccinium oxycoccos . . . . Cranberry

Locally frequent in bogs exc. extreme S and N; petals >5.5mm

See also V. microcarpum (Small Cranberry), a rare plant of N Sc, petals <5.5mm:

Vaccinium vitis-idaea . . . . Cowberry

Ever-green; Moors, locally abundant esp. in N

Comparison of Arctostaphylos uva-ursae lvs (L) and V. vitis-ideae (R) in each pic.; underside in R pic.