Stipa or Mediterranean Tree Heather

This type of heather starts as a cute little green bush and can grow to 20 or 30 feet high (6m/9m) with twisted and distorted branches. In this part of Tuscany it is called Stipa and probably lots of other things in other parts of Italy. The 2 big pluses for it are, one, the magnificent white blossom is carries in the spring and, two, the wood, when it gets thick enough to burn, is a favoutite for pizza ovens as it does not spit like chestnut and cover your pizza with red hot embers.