The arboreous heather bush is typical of the Mediterranean brush. It likes sunny positions and silica-rich soils. The wood at the base of the plant absorbs so much silica that it becomes extremely hard, and even incombustible. This is why it is used to make good quality pipes. The origin of the name itself refers to hardness, as it derives from the Greek ereiko, 'to break': heather is stronger than the soil crust that covers it.
Among the various species visited by bees there is also broom heather, which was used to make brooms until not long ago.