Species in this order have considerable commercial importance including for tea, persimmon, blueberry, kiwifruit, Brazil nuts, argan, cranberry, sapote, and azalea.

Actinidia deliciosa), persimmon (genus Diospyros), blueberry, huckleberry, cranberry, Brazil nut, and Mamey sapote.

The order also includes shea (Vitellaria paradoxa), which is the major dietary lipid source for millions of sub-Saharan Africans.

Many Ericales species are cultivated for their showy flowers: well-known examples are azalea, rhododendron, camellia, heather, polyanthus, cyclamen, phlox, and busy Lizzie.

These families are recognized in the APG III system[1] as members of the Ericales: Likely phylogenetic relationships between the families of the Ericales:[6] Cyrillaceae Ericaceae Clethraceae Roridulaceae Actinidiaceae Sarraceniaceae Styracaceae Diapensiaceae Symplocaceae Theaceae Pentaphylacaceae Primulaceae Ebenaceae Sapotaceae Polemoniaceae Fouquieriaceae Lecythidaceae Mitrastemonaceae Marcgraviaceae Tetrameristaceae Balsaminaceae These families are not recognized in the APG III system[1] but have been in common use in the recent past: These make up an early diverging group of asterids.