Heath with prominent Erica tetralix on shallow, acid, nutrient-poor peats and peaty mineral soils, kept moist for much of the year and often seasonally waterlogged, through the Atlantic and subatlantic lowlands and foothills of Europe. It typically occurs in wet depressions and seepage areas within dry heaths or as a marginal zone around bogs where drainage of deeper peats can increase its extent. In milder oceanic climates, other Erica and Ulex spp. occur in richer humid heath. The habitat is frequently influenced by grazing and sod-cutting.