Wanda Robb, age 13, of Gadsden, Ala., for her question:

WHAT IS HEATH?

Heath is the common name for about 2,000 different kinds of plants. Often they are found growing on open, uncultivated land that is_ considered to be wasteland. The word "heath" can describe the uncultivated land as well as the plants that grow there.

Heaths, dunes and moors have similar origins and are made up of plants that are closely related.

Originally the word „heathen" meant someone who lived on the heath. It is applied to uncultivated people as well as uncultivated land.

The heath family of plants is made up of more than 2,700 species. Most members are woody plants and included are some small trees. Heather, rhododendrons and azaleas are some of the famous relatives.