The Ericales are a diverse clade; containing over 9,000 species; life history strategies that range from some of the smallest herbs to some of the largest trees; diverse methods for acquiring nutrients such as carnivory and parasitism; and ecological preferences that range from tropical rainforests to high elevation alpine habitats. We have estimated phylogenies for the order based on nuclear and chloroplast data that incorporate over 5,000 extant species. These phylogenies provide a basis for investigating the patterns and processes underpinning the extensive diversity that exists within this clade. This includes distinctive patterns of among gene and among lineage molecular rate variation, especially towards the root of the phylogenies at a time when diverse clades within Ericales appear to have rapidly established themselves. Alongside this, we characterise the relationship between these molecular processes and the diverse ecology, morphology, and life history strategies that exist within this clade.