Spanish Heath

BUSH INVADER

Erica lusitanica

family: ERICACEAE

Description

  • Erect woody fast-growing evergreen shrub with hairy stems and brittle roots from SW Europe. Also called Portuguese Heath.
  • Leaves are tiny (3 to 7mm long), pointed, mid-green, and clustered densely on the stem.
  • Flowers are profuse, small, papery, fragrant and bell-shaped, pink in bud, opening white. These flowers rattle softly when shaken. They appear from late autumn to early spring.
  • Each flower produces numerous tiny seeds.
  • Spanish Heath is often mistaken for a native heath plant of the family Epacridaceae. Native Epacrid flowers have five petals; Spanish Heath has four.

Dispersal

Seeds are spread by wind, water and gravity, by dumping, and in mud on boots and tyres. This plant also layers, and shoots from stems and roots.

Impact on Bushland

Follows watercourses and invades sensitive ecosystems; seeds, layers and suckers to form dense stands; its mass of fine matted roots crowds out natives; it replaces creekline vegetation.

Distribution

Upper Blue Mountains.

Alternative Planting

Native Plants
Local native heath plants, eg Epacris species, for quality habitat for native fauna:
Epacris microphylla, E. pulchella, E. paludosa
Kunzea (K. capitatum, K. ambigua)
Logania albiflora Woolly Tea Tree (Leptospermum grandifolium)

Exotic alternatives
Diosma (Coleonema pulchrum)
Erica 'Springwood White'

Control

Bag flowers and seed heads (send to tip);
pull small seedlings by hand;
cut and paint larger plants.

Picture of Spanish Heath
Many streets in Upper Mountains townships have stands of Spanish Heath - seeding into the gutter, and being washed by stormwater straight into bushland creeks.

Portuguese Heath forms dense stands in damp areas.

Portuguese Heath forms dense stands in damp areas.

Picture of Spanish Heath flowers

Small tubular flowers, massed on the stems, are pink in the bud and open white.

Picture of Spanish Heath leaves and stems

Tiny narrow leaves are clustered densely on woody stems.

Picture of Epacris microphylla

Spanish Heath is often thought to be a native plant. This is the native Epacris microphylla: Epacris flowers have 5 petals; Spanish Heath has 4.