Erica arborea, tree heath, is an evergreen shrub of the Mediterranean basin, Macaronesia, and the East African highlands, grown for its fine, needle-like foliage and the dense clusters of tiny, honey-scented white flowers that smother the plant in late winter and early spring — among the earliest bloom in a Mediterranean or gravel garden, and a strong early source of nectar for bees. Where the smaller heaths and heathers stay low and mat-forming, tree heath builds into an upright, woody shrub or small multi-stemmed tree over time, giving height and structure to a silver-and-evergreen planting scheme without losing the family's fine, textural foliage.
It wants full sun and sharp drainage, and unlike most heaths it tolerates lean, rocky, even mildly alkaline soil rather than demanding true acid conditions — one reason it pairs so easily with lavender, rosemary, and other lime-tolerant Mediterranean shrubs. Established plants are drought tolerant and need little supplemental water once rooted; wet, heavy soil in winter is the most common cause of loss. The dense, burl-like root crown ('briar root') has long been harvested in the Mediterranean for briar tobacco pipes, prized for its heat resistance and fine grain — a use that predates its ornamental popularity by centuries. Light shaping after flowering keeps the habit dense; old, leggy wood is slow to resprout from a hard cut, so prune lightly and often rather than renovating an overgrown plant all at once.
Root rot
Plants wilt, yellow, and stunt even in moist soil; lower stems and roots turn brown, soft, and mushy and the plant may collapse. Most common in heavy, wet, or poorly drained ground.
Improve drainage and stop overwatering, and never plant too deep. Lift and destroy badly affected plants along with the soil around the roots. Grow in raised or free-draining beds to prevent it returning.