Tree Heath Seeds (Erica arborea), White Heath or Giant Heather is a member of the Heather (Ericaceae) family native to the maquis shrublands surrounding the Mediterranean Basin north to Bulgaria and west to Portugal and the Canary and Madeira Islands.
There are also disjunct populations in Africa including the Ethiopian Highlands, the mountains of Ruwenzori and the Cameroon Mountains. In Africa it is normally referred to as 'Giant Heather.' 

The wood, known as briar root (French: bruyère), is extremely hard and heat-resistant, and is used for making smoking pipes. The wood is also used for making jewellery, fountain pens and knife handles.

Erica arborea is an upright evergreen shrub or small tree with a typical height in the wild of some 20 ft (6 m) especially in Africa, but more typically 3 to 12 feet (1–4 m) in gardens, bearing dark green needle-like leaves and numerous small honey-scented bell-shaped white flowers.
Like all member of the Ericaceae family it prefers acid soil in an open sunny situation.