ericaceous

[ er-i-key-shuhs ]

adjective

1. belonging to the Ericaceae, the heath family of plants.

ericaceous

/ ˌɛrɪˈkeɪʃəs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Ericaceae, a family of trees and shrubs with typically bell-shaped flowers: includes heather, rhododendron, azalea, and arbutus

Word History and Origins

Origin of ericaceous¹

1880–85; < New Latin Ericace ( ae ) ( erica, -aceae ) + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of ericaceous¹

C19: from New Latin Erīcāceae, from Latin erīca heath, from Greek ereikē

Example Sentences

These are not gardens that welcome ericaceous plants — acid-lovers like azaleas and other Rhododendron, or blueberries.

From Seattle Times

Throughout the book he employs rustic Anglo-Saxonisms like “scrump” and “hoick,” along with luscious Latinate words such as “ericaceous” and “quercophilic.”

From New York Times

Mr. Reis’s advice for gardeners is to keep watering their spring-flowering ericaceous shrubs, like rhododendrons, azaleas, mountain laurels and camellias, until the first frost arrives.

From New York Times

A genus of ericaceous flowering plants of northern climates, of which the original species was found growing on a rock surrounded by water.

From Project Gutenberg

The berry of several species of Vaccinium, and ericaceous genus, differing from the American huckleberries in containing numerous minute seeds instead of ten nutlets.

From Project Gutenberg