Pink mountain-heather facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pink mountain-heather
Scientific classification
Genus:	Phyllodoce (plant)
Species:	empetriformis

Phyllodoce empetriformis, also known as the pink mountain-heather or pink mountain-heath, is a beautiful plant. You can find it in the mountains of western North America. This includes the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. Its southern home stretches down to the Klamath Range in northern California and Oregon.

This plant is a low-growing shrub that spreads out like a mat. Its leaves are special because they curl under themselves very tightly. This makes them look a lot like tiny pine needles. The plant also grows pretty flowers that are pink and purple.

Discovering the Pink Mountain-Heather

This plant is very common in the mountain areas where it naturally grows. It's an evergreen shrub, meaning its leaves stay green all year. It likes to live in high, cold places, like the alpine regions.

What Does This Plant Look Like?

The pink mountain-heather has lovely red-purple flowers. These flowers grow in groups at the end of the plant's stems. They appear where the leaves meet the stem.

The flowers are shaped like bells. They are about twice as long as the small green parts that hold them, called the calyx. The parts inside the flower, like the sepals and filaments, are smooth or have very few hairs.

Comparing Mountain-Heathers

There's another similar plant called Phyllodoce glanduliflora. Its flowers are yellow or green-white. This is different from the pink and purple flowers of the pink mountain-heather. Also, the flowers of Phyllodoce glanduliflora are shaped more like an urn. Its sepals and filaments are also quite hairy.

Images for kids

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  Bell-shaped red-purple flowers are clustered near the stem-tips.

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