Spanish heath (Erica lusitanica)

Also known as: Portuguese heath

Spanish heath is a perennial woody shrub 1 to 2 m high, densely covered in small narrow leaves.

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How does this weed affect you?

Spanish heath is highly invasive in a variety of habitats including native vegetation, pastures and roadsides.

What does it look like?

Spanish heath is an upright, woody shrub that usually grows to around 2.5 m tall, but can get as tall as 3.5 m. It has lots of stiff, narrow leaves. From winter to early spring plants are covered in a mass of small white or pale pink, tube-shaped flowers. Seeds are produced in spring and new plants grow in spring or autumn.

Leaves:

• stiff
• narrow 
• pointed
• 4-7 mm long
• grow thickly on the shrub.

Flowers:

• white or pale pink
• 3-5 mm long
• tube-shaped
• grow in groups of 2-4 on the end of branches
• turn brown when they age.

Fruit:

• small capsule
• 2-3 mm long
• holds 80-100 tiny dust-like seeds.

Stems:

• young stems green and covered with soft hairs
• old stems woody and brown and up to 15 cm thick.

Roots:

• stringy, deep root system
• woody crown at bottom of plant
• plants can regrow from crown if above ground parts are damaged.

Similar looking plants

There are other Erica species that have become weedy in New South Wales, including:

• Tree Heath (Erica arborea), which looks very similar. It has branched hairs on the young stems and the flowers have a dark read throat.
• Erica glandulosa, which is a smaller shrub with pink to light purple tube-shaped flowers.

It is important to identify Spanish heath correctly because it can be confused with Australian native plants, including:

• Common heath (Epacris impressa) – a shrub to 1.2 m tall with longer leaves (up to 13 mm) and larger, red, pink or white tubular flowers (up to 20 mm long).
• Prickly Beard-heath (Leucopogon juniperinus) – a shrub to 1 m tall with longer leaves (up to 12 mm) and fleshy yellow fruit.
• Peach heath (Lissanthe strigosa) - a shorter shrub (up to 70 cm)l with white or pinkish urn-shaped flowers and fleshy white fruit.
• Prickly broom-heath (Monotoca scoparia) - a smaller spreading shrub (to 1.2 m) with longer leaves (up to 15 mm) and yellow to orange fruit.

Where is it found?

In NSW, Spanish heath has been found in the Central tablelands, Greater Sydney, Riverina and South East regions.

Spanish heath is native to southwestern Europe. It is used in the cut-flower industry and is often grown in gardens. 

Maps and records

• Recorded presence of Spanish heath during property inspections (Map: Biosecurity Information System - Weeds, 2017-2023)
  These records are made by authorised officers during property inspections under the Biosecurity Act 2015. Officers record the presence of priority weeds in their council area and provide this to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Records reflect the presence of the weed on the date of inspection.
  
  

References

Australian Government (n.d.) Erica lusitanica in Weeds in Australia.

DPIWE (n.d.) Weednote Spanish heath (Erica lusitanica).

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved: 8 September 2022 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Erica~lusitanica

Powell, J.M. (1992). Erica lusitanica Rudolphi in PlantNET, The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia. 

More information

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Control

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Comet® 200 herbicide)
Rate: 500 mL to 1 L per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Comet® 200 herbicide)
Rate: 35 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal bark
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 300 to 600 mL per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 21 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal bark
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 50 parts water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 9 parts water
Comments: Splatter gun
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 20 parts water
Comments: Wipe onto leaves
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 - 20 g per 100 L water plus surfactant
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: B, Inhibitors of acetolactate synthase (ALS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 g per 1 L of water plus surfactant
Comments: Wipe onto leaves
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: B, Inhibitors of acetolactate synthase (ALS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Central Tablelands An exclusion zone is established for Bathurst Regional Council, Blayney Council, Cabonne Council, Cowra Shire Council, Mid-Western Regional Council, Oberon Council, and Orange City Council areas. A core infestation area is established for Lithgow Council area.	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Containment) Within exclusion zone: Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Land managers should eradicate the plant from the land and keep the land free of the plant. A person should not deal with the plant, where dealings include but are not limited to buying, selling, growing, moving, carrying or releasing the plant. Within core infestation area: Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land. A person should not buy, sell, move, carry or release the plant into the environment. Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value.
South East Containment zone: Queanbeyan-Palerang, Snowy Monaro and Wingecarribee Local Government Areas. Exclusion zone: Whole of region except containment zone.	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Containment) Whole of region: Land managers mitigate the risk of new weeds being introduced to their land. A person should not deal with the plant, where dealings include but are not limited to buying, selling, growing, moving, carrying or releasing the plant. Within exclusion zone: Land managers should eradicate the plant from the land and keep the land free of the plant. Notify local control authority if found. Within containment zone: Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value. Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land.
	*To see the Regional Strategic Weeds Management Plans containing demonstrated outcomes that fulfil the general biosecurity duty for this weed click here

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Reviewed 2023