A bacterial strain designated RA9T was isolated from a root of Cistus ladanifer in Spain. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolate into the genus Bacillus with its closest relatives being Bacillus fortis R-6514T and Bacillus fordii R-7190T with 98.2 % similarity in both cases. DNA-DNA hybridization studies showed mean relatedness values of 29 and 30 %, respectively, between strain RA9T and the type strains of B. fortis and B. fordii. Cells of the isolate were Gram-stain-positive, motile, sporulating rods. Catalase and oxidase were positive. Gelatin, starch and casein were not hydrolysed. Menaquinone MK-7 was the only menaquinone detected and iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0 were the major fatty acids. The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified phospholipid, one unidentifed glycolipid and one unidentified lipid. meso-Diaminopimelic acid was detected in the peptidoglycan. The DNA G+C content was 43.1 mol%. Phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic analyses showed that strain RA9T should be considered as representing a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RA9T (=LMG 29736T=CECT 9170T).