''Hudsonia ericoides'' is a species of flowering plant in the rock-rose family known by the common names pine barren goldenheather, false heather, and golden-heather. It is native to eastern North America, where its distribution extends down the east coast from Newfoundland to

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, with a disjunct population in

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

.Gucker, Corey L. 2005
''Hudsonia ericoides''.
In: Fire Effects Information System, nline U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.

Description

This plant is a perennial shrub which grows low to the ground, forming a dense mat up to a meter wide. It has a

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

and a system of fibrous roots within the top few centimeters of soil. The branches are covered with small green needlelike leaves each just a few millimeters long and under half a millimeter wide. It has white or yellow petals and simple leaves.

Distribution and habitat

This plant occurs mainly in coastal pine

plant communities A plant community is a collection or association of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighboring patches of different vegetation types. The components of each plant ...

, such as

pine barrens Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pineland areas occur throughout the U.S. from Florida to Maine (see Atlantic coastal pine barrens) as well as the Midwest, West, and Canada and parts of Eurasia. Perhaps the most well known pine-barre ...

. It is common in the

Pine Barrens Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pineland areas occur throughout the U.S. from Florida to Maine (see Atlantic coastal pine barrens) as well as the Midwest, West, and Canada and parts of Eurasia. Perhaps the most well known pine-barre ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

and on

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

,''Hudsonia ericoides''.
The Nature Conservancy. Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. It occurs on Long Island with pitch pines. The soils are dry and sandy. The plant grows easily on dunes and beaches where the climate is humid and windy. The plant does not tolerate shade and can be best found in sunny environments. This shrub is a

pioneer species Pioneer species are hardy species that are the first to colonize barren environments or previously biodiverse steady-state ecosystems that have been disrupted, such as by wildfire. Pioneer flora Some lichens grow on rocks without soil, so ...

that can sometimes be found in disturbed habitat such as roadsides. It is commonly found in habitat that experiences frequent

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

s, as pine barrens do. Various species of the plant are presumed at risk with one of them being presumed extinct.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16983350 Cistaceae Flora of Canada Flora of the Eastern United States Plants described in 1767