Heather

When: Year round, flowers in summer and autumn

Scientific name: Calluna vulgaris

Gaelic name: Fraoch, monadh

Size: up to 90cm

Where: Carpeting boggy areas; Wester Moss SSSI

Heather, or Ling, is one of the most popular plants associated with Scottish wildlife, but is usually more common in upland areas. We are still lucky enough to enjoy the rich purple of the flowers during the summer months around the Inner Forth, thanks to the diverse range of habitats in the area, including our peatland bogs!

Easily recognisable because of its woody stems and wonderful purple flowers, heather has been a valuable resource for humans and animals alike for centuries. An expanse of heather can provide excellent habitat for ground nesting birds as it creates protective cover from predators. Many species of butterfly and moth feed on the plant, as well as the heather leaf beetle, which is solely dependent on heather for survival. Larger animals such as deer and sheep will graze on the tops of the shrub in winter, if lower vegetation is covered by snow. The flowers can vary from deep purple through to pink and white in different areas.

Humans have made use of heather in great variety, from scrubbing pots and pans with the wiry branches, to decorating bridal headdresses with its pretty flowers for good fortune. Heather's scientific name, Calluna vulgaris, even refers to its suitability as a tool for cleaning, as 'calluna' comes from the Greek 'kallune', meaning to brush or scrub. This iconic shrub has also been written into poetry, literature and proverbs, thoroughly establishing its influence in different cultures over the centuries. One Gaelic proverb referred to the tradition of burning of heather on a hillside:

"Is fhearr deathach an fraoich na gaoth an reothaidh"

"Better the smoke of heather than the wind of frost"

Heathland has been managed in this way for centuries by farmers and land owners, burning heather in the winter and spring to allow for new, fresh growth in the summer. This method also restricted vegetation becoming too tall, meaning that it would be more difficult for wolves and other predators to find cover before pouncing on an unwitting sheep!

From these old traditions to new artworks seen in galleries and shops, heather is clearly a much loved part of our landscape that remains a flourishing symbol of heritage as well as an ecologically important resource.

Find out more at: https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/species/heather/

Photo: David Palmar, www.photoscot.co.uk