Tree heather

Tree heather
	Tree heather, habitus ( Erica arborea )
Systematics
	Nuclear eudicotyledons
	Asterids
Order :	Heather-like (Ericales)
Family :	Heather family (Ericaceae)
Genre :	Heather ( Erica )
Type :	Tree heather
Scientific name
	Erica arborea
	L.

The heather ( Erica arborea ) is a plant from the genus of the heather ( Erica ) in the family of the Ericaceae (Ericaceae). The trade name for the wood of the tree heather, which is used in tobacco pipe construction and for knife handles, is briar wood (from the French bruyère = erica ).

description

Illustration from Flore coloriée de poche du littoral méditerranéen de Gênes à Barcelone y compris la Corse

blossoms

Vegetative characteristics

The tree heather is an evergreen, bushy, branched shrub or small tree that reaches heights of up to 6 meters. In the laurel forests on La Gomera , Erica arborea grows up to 20 meters high. The bark of young twigs is hairy white, later it is reddish brown. The needle-like leaves are up to 5 millimeters long and 0.5 millimeters wide.

Generative characteristics

The white flowers appear from February to July.

Occurrence

Mountain landscape with tree heaths

The distribution area includes the Mediterranean area, the Canaries , Madeira and the mountains of Central Africa . The tree heather thrives above all in evergreen forests and maquis, especially on acidic rock.

use

Since around the beginning of the 19th century - initially in France - the bulbous roots have been used to make tobacco pipes . To do this, at the age of 30 to 60 you harvest the roughly football-sized roots and boil them in copper kettles for several hours; they then have to dry for several months before they can be processed further. The wood is light to red-brown, often beautifully grained and, due to mineral deposits, very hard, heat-resistant and therefore does not impair the aroma of pipe tobacco smoke .

The plant is used in folk medicine to treat infections of the lower urinary organs.

Today the wood is also used to make jewelry.

literature

Peter Schönfelder, Ingrid Schönfelder: What is in bloom in the Mediterranean? 750 species (= Kosmos nature guide ). 4th edition. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10211-4 .
Astrid Süßmuth: Medicinal plants in the Mediterranean: Recognize and use . Freya, 2017, ISBN 978-3-99025-298-7 , p. 45.

Web links

Commons : Tree heather ( Erica arborea ) - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Erica arborea . In: S. Dressler, M. Schmidt, G. Zizka (Eds.): African plants - A Photo Guide. Senckenberg, Frankfurt / Main 2014.
Thomas Meyer: Data sheet with identification key and photos at Flora-de: Flora von Deutschland (old name of the website: Flowers in Swabia ).

Individual evidence

↑ Astrid Süssmuth: Medicinal plants on the Mediterranean: Recognize and apply . Freya, 2017, ISBN 978-3-99025-298-7 , pp. 45 .

[1] Astrid Süssmuth: Medicinal plants on the Mediterranean: Recognize and apply . Freya, 2017, ISBN 978-3-99025-298-7 , pp. 45 .