Heather
Calluna vulgaris
Heath family (Ericaceae)
Spread by man
Heathland with its purple heather are an ancient cultural landscape. In the Bronze Age when humans changed from being hunter-gatherers to farmers keeping live stock large swathes of forest were felled and burned. After several years of cultivating crops, the soil would be exhausted and could only be used to graze cattle. Grazing in turn ensured no bushes or trees could regenerate. Leaching of minerals by the rain led to an acidification of the soils. In this type of landscape, in conjunction with a particular soil fungus, the ling can thrive. Ling only blooms once it reaches 7 years old and the flowers are visited both by bees and many species of butterflies including the grayling and the silver-studded blue.
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Crown jewel in the Nijmegen Botanic Garden.
The abundant nectar and pollen production by this plant attracts bees, bumblebees and other pollinators.
A yellow or orange dye can be made from young shoots.
A tea prepared from the flowers and flowering shoots of heather can be used to purify the blood, for bladder and kidney stones, rheumatism and gout.
Heaths form primarily a cultural landscape and arose alongside agricultural and livestock policy. Heathland were traditionally used as a compost that was added to fields to enrich the soil.
Details
Description: | Shrub, 20 to 100 cm. |
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Distributions: | Northern north america, north eurasia |
Habitat: | Plant association: the heather is a indicator species for dry heaths (calluno-ulicetea). |
Year cycle: | Perennial (polycarpic evergreen) |
Hardiness: | Colder than -4 f (very hardy) |
Flowering period: | Juli - september |
Flower color: | Pink, purple |
Notes on flowers: | Spikes of pink or pale purple, urn-shaped flowers that are either single or double. |
Notes on fruits: | Capsule |
At its best: | Juli - september |
Sources
http://www.floron.nl/publicaties/rode-lijst-2012,IUCNredlist.org,
http://www.floravannederland.nl/planten/struikhei/,
http://wilde-planten.nl/struikhei.htm,
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaggen,
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potstal,
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/2712/i-Calluna-vulgaris-i/Details?returnurl=%2fplants%2fsearch-resu...