common name for Erica arborea, an evergreen shrub or small tree of southern Europe; root used for tobacco pipes; grows up to 20 ft (6 m) high and has stems with long, ciliate hairs; bears an abundance of large, white, fragrant flowers in early spring; has needlelike leaves about a quarter of an inch (0.6 cm) long that often occur in 3's; the root is very hard with a close grain.