Dorset heath

Key traits

Dorset heath resprouts from root stock and adventitious roots after fire (Rose et al. 1996).

Seeds germinate readily on open ground after a fire (more so than among established vegetation) and is heat stimulated (Rose et al .1996). Seed dispersal distances are assumed to be short.

Plant response to fire

Reproduction by seed is noted to be common only after a fire or where soil surfaces have been disturbed (Rose et al. 1996). Mature plants tend to reproduce vegetatively via prostrate stems that produce adventitious roots (Rose et al. 1996). But vegetative reproduction was noted as aiding E. cilliaris after controlled burns (Munoz et al. 2010). Dorset heath has been noted to attain pre-burn coverage in just 3 years post-fire (Munoz et al. 2010). Munoz et al. (2010) concluded in their study of a range of plots with post-burning intervention that controlled burning can be used as a sustainable management tool for E. cilliaris.

Timing of life history

Perennial species. Seeds produced from third growing season (Rose et al 1996). Flowering June to September.