ericaceous
English edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from New Latin erīcāceus.
Adjective edit
ericaceous (comparative more ericaceous, superlative most ericaceous)
- (botany) Of or pertaining to the heath family (Ericaceae).
- (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.
- acidic, acid-based
- 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.
- Camellias thrive when fed with an ericaceous fertiliser.
Synonyms edit
- (acid-loving): calcifugal, calcifugous
See also edit
References edit
- “ericaceous”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “ericaceous”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- Ericaceae at APWeb