ericaceous

English

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin erīcāceus.

Adjective

ericaceous (comparative more ericaceous, superlative most ericaceous)

1. (botany) Of or pertaining to the heath family (Ericaceae).
2. (especially of a plant) Acid-loving, thriving in acidic conditions.

   Ericaceous plants include camellias, hollies, hydrangeas, and maples as well as members of the Ericaceae.

   • 1975, Joan Lee Faust, Lisa Oldenburg, The New York times book of indoor & outdoor gardening questions, →ISBN:

     Ralph E. Martin, a New Jersey engineer and gardener, concurs that coffee grounds for general garden and lawn use are too acid. He recommends small quantities for ericaceous (acid-loving) ornamentals.

   • 1999, Steve Bradley, Alan Titchmarsh, Ground Force Weekend Workbook, →ISBN, page 103:

     Many people long to grow some of these beautiful ericaceous (acid-loving) plants, but think they can't because they don't have the appropriate soil.

   • 2009, Chris Young, RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design, →ISBN, page 74:

     Soil acidity is important if you want to grow ericaceous (acid-loving) plants such as Pieris, Camellia, or Rhododendron.

3. acidic, acid-based

   Camellias thrive when fed with an ericaceous fertiliser.

   • 2004, John Mason, Nursery Management, →ISBN, page 144:

     Acid-loving plants such as camellias, heathers, azaleas and rhododendrons are best planted in an ericaceous (acid) potting mix.

   • 2009, John Harrison, The Essential Allotment Guide: How to Get the Best out of Your Plot, →ISBN:

     Most fruits like a soil that is slightly acid to neutral 6–7 pH. These moorland plants, however, like an ericaceous (acid) soil with a pH more towards 5.

   • 2013, Simon Akeroyd, Allotment Handbook, →ISBN:

     If your soil is alkaline, simply grow acid-lovers in containers of ericaceous (acid) potting compost.

Synonyms

• (acid-loving): calcifugal, calcifugous

See also

• calcifuge

References

• “ericaceous”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “ericaceous”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• Ericaceae at APWeb