Side by side
Cross-leaved heath or crowberry? How to tell them apart
Erica tetralix · Empetrum nigrum
How to tell them apart – cross-leaved heath: greyish-green, hairy needle-like leaves in whorls of four, and pink bells; crowberry: creeping, heather-like dwarf shrub with glossy needle-like leaves with a white stripe underneath, and small black berries.
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How do you recognise them?
- Cross-leaved heath
- Low heath of wet heathland, with grey-green needle leaves in whorls of four and pink bells in small clusters.
- Compared with crowberry: greyish-green, hairy needle-like leaves in whorls of four, and pink bells.
- Crowberry
- Creeping, heather-like dwarf shrub with glossy needle-like leaves with a white stripe underneath, and small black berries.
| Cross-leaved heath | Crowberry | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Needle-like leaves of 3–5 mm in whorls of four, grey-green with glandular hairs. | Alternate but tightly packed, needle-like, 4–6 mm, glossy green; the edges are rolled under so far that only a white stripe remains visible underneath. |
| Flowering | Pink, egg-shaped bells in small clusters at the shoot tips, June–September (June–September). | Tiny reddish-purple flowers with 3 petals in the leaf axils, April–May (April–May). |
| Fruit | Small capsules. | Glossy black berries (5 mm), July–September; edible but bland. |
| Bark | Thin, hairy stems. | Reddish-brown stems that lie on the ground and root. |
| Shape and height | Dwarf shrub, 20–50 cm | Dwarf shrub, 10–30 cm |
| Site | Full sun, acid soil, moist to wet | Full sun, acid soil, dry to wet |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and butterflies | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | March–April | March–April |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
Read on
- Plant profile: Cross-leaved heath
- Plant profile: Crowberry
- Cross-leaved heath: when and how to prune
- Crowberry: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.