Cross-leaved Heath

Erica tetralix

Cross-leaved Heath is a lovely little shrub that blooms with pink flowers. It grows in wet places and is a favorite for bees and butterflies, making gardens beautiful and lively!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Cross-leaved Heath is a small, upright shrub with distinctive grey-green leaves arranged in neat whorls of four. It displays clusters of charming, bell-shaped pink to purplish-pink flowers at the tips of its stems during summer, making it easily spotted in its boggy habitats.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderEricalesFamilyEricaceaeGenusErica

Photo: Christian FischerCC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsView original ↗

Cross-leaved Heath

Interesting facts

It's a super tough plant, happy growing where few others can, like wet, boggy places!

Its leaves have a secret waxy coating, stopping it from losing too much water.

Its name hints at leaves growing in neat groups of four, like a tiny cross!

Look closely! Its tiny pink flowers often have soft hairs, like a cozy, fuzzy blanket.

Special abilities

It has tiny hairs on its leaves and stems, helping it capture and hold precious water in windy, exposed habitats.

This heath keeps its leaves all year, letting it make food and photosynthesize even during mild winters.

Measurements & details

Height: 10-50 cm
Spread: 30-60 cm
Flower Size: 0.5-0.7 cm
Bloom Season: Summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

Pollinates

Honey bee

Apis mellifera

collects nectar and pollen from its flowers

Pollinates

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

visits its flowers for nectar and pollen

Eaten by

Domestic sheep

Ovis aries

sometimes grazed by sheep in moorland

Eaten by

Roe deer

Capreolus capreolus

occasionally browsed by deer in heathland areas

Traits

Bell-Shaped Flower

Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Spring Blooming

Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.

Evergreen

Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.

Fragrant Flower

Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Plants

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless an adult says it's okay!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Cross-leaved Heath?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

How tall is Cross-leaved Heath?

10-50 cm

How wide does Cross-leaved Heath spread?

30-60 cm

How big are the flowers on Cross-leaved Heath?

0.5-0.7 cm

When does Cross-leaved Heath bloom?

Summer

Is Cross-leaved Heath edible?

Is Cross-leaved Heath toxic?

None

What is Cross-leaved Heath's lifecycle?