The name of the genus Erica was derived from a Greek word ereiko which means to tear something into pieces. This name came about because ancient Greeks believed that some heaths species had the ability to break down gallstones. The species name alopecurus comes from alopex which is a Greek name for fox, and oura, meaning tail; it refers to the upright, densely leafy branches that resemble a fox’s tail and this leads to the English common name, foxtail heath.

The genus Erica has approximately 840 species that are found mainly in Africa and Europe, of which 806 occur in South Africa, mainly in the Western Cape. Erica alopecurus is one of the few species that occur in the summer-rainfall region of South Africa.