Erica cerinthoides is a species of heath native to South Africa (the Cape Provinces, the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Provinces), Lesotho and Swaziland. Common names include fire erica, fire heath, red hairy heath, rooihaartjie or klipheide. Throughout its range the species shows marked variation in habit, flower characteristics and hairiness . A form with white flowers is found in Swaziland and the South African province of Mpumalanga while the variety E. cerinthoides var. barbertona has shorter flowers.