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habitat The natural characteristics of the area where an organism lives; the particular location where an organism normally lives.

heath An area dominated by low-growing shrubs with woody stems and narrow leaves (e.g. heather), which often predominate on acidic or upland soils

hemp The scientific name of the hemp plant is Cannabis sativa. For millennia the hemp plant has been cultivated for its strong, durable fiber. It is used for twine, yarn, rope, cable, and string, for artificial sponges, and for coarse fabrics such as sacking and canvas. In Italy it is used to make a fabric similar to linen. The plant is also grown for its seed used in hempseed oil, paints, soaps, varnishes, and bird feed. The plant is an annual herb with angular, rough stems and alternate deeply lobed leaves. It may grow to 16 feet (5 meters) tall, though plants cultivated for fiber are densely sowed and generally reach heights of only 7 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters). The flowers are small and greenish yellow; male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The plant's slender woody stalks are hollow except at the tip and base. Hemp fibers come from the inner bark of the stalks.

herbs Records of the use of herbs date from ancient Egypt and Biblical times. The Greeks and Romans studied and wrote about herbs and their uses in medicine and cooking. Early physicians used hundreds of herbs to treat a variety of ailments. Herbs were also used to mask unpleasant household odors and to enhance the taste of dull food. Herbs grow in temperate regions. They are the aromatic leaves of such plants as marjoram, mint, rosemary, and thyme. Today herbs are used primarily as seasonings to flavor and enhance food. Other food seasonings are spices, such as black pepper or cinnamon, and aromatic seeds, such as dill or sesame. They are also used in a variety of products such as soap, shampoo, powder, or cosmetics. Herbal teas, made from many different herbs, are considered by some to be healthful. Many people still use herbs for their medicinal properties. Some modern drugs are refined from ingredients found in herbs.

helper An animal, usually without young of its own, which contributes to the survival of the offspring of others by behaving parentally towards the offspring

herbaceus Referring to a plant that has little or no woody tissue and usually persists for a single growing season.

herbivore An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.

heron Many of the long-legged wading birds living in the marshes of saltwater lagoons, freshwater lakes, and rivers are herons. Included in the heron family, Ardeidae, are bitterns, boatbills, and egrets. The word egret usually refers to the beautiful white-plumed birds. They are famous for the long plumes, or aigrettes, that are worn by the males during the breeding season.

Herons and egrets are expert fishermen. They stand like statues in the water until their keen eyes discover a fish swimming by. Then, at exactly the right instant, with one sudden jab of the bill, they seize their prey. Sometimes they stalk slowly through the shallow water, lifting each foot clear and setting it down again so gently that no ripple warns the fish or frog.

hibiscus The origin of the word hibiscus is not certain. In Latin, the word means "marshmallow."  It is largest group of plants in the mallow (Malvaceae) family is the genus Hibiscus, which includes about 250 species of herbs, shrubs, and small trees. Some are delicate tropical blooms; others are hardy and grow almost anywhere. Plants of the Hibiscus genus are characterized by large, showy flowers with deep-colored bases. The blossoms may be white, cream, yellow, pink, crimson, magenta, or purple-blue. Some varieties of the hibiscus change from white or yellow in the morning to pink or red in the afternoon.

home range The area in which an animal normally lives, whether or not it defends the area from other animals; the area that an animal learns thoroughly and habitually patrols.

horse apples A term to describe clusters of small to medium-sized tumors, usually ringing the neck and throat of the turtle.

hybernating Remaining inactive for a period in the winter during which the normal physiological process is significantly reduced, thus lowering the animal's energy requirements.

hybrid The offspring of parents of different species.

hygrophilous Living or growing in moist places

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