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Common heather Facts

Common heather Facts
Common heather is an evergreen shrub that belongs to the heath family. It originates from Western Europe, Siberia and North America, but it can be found around the world today. Common heather grows on the poor, acidic, well-drained, sandy soils in areas that provide enough sun and protection against winds during the winter. It can be found in heathlands, open fields, wet bogs and woodlands. Common heather easily spreads and occupies new habitats and thrives in areas cleared with fire. Because of these features, common heather is often classified as invasive in non-native habitats. People cultivate common heather mostly in decorative purposes.
Interesting Common heather Facts:
Common heather is bushy plant that produces numerous branches. It can reach 24 to 39 inches in height.
Common heather has small, scale-like leaves with curled edges. They are arranged in opposite, cross-shaped pairs on the branches.
Common heather produces small, usually purple-colored flowers. White, pink, lavender and red-colored flowers can be also seen, but are rare in the wild. Flowers are bell-shaped and arranged in narrow spikes. They grow on top of the plant or arise from the axils of leaves.
Common heather blooms from July to November in the northern hemisphere. It produces large quantities of nectar that is important source of food for the butterflies, bees and moths, main pollinators of this plant.
Common heather starts to produce flowers 3 to 4 years after planting and continues to blossom until the age of 15 years. After that period, common heather becomes woody.
Fruit of common heather is dehiscent capsule.
Birds and wind facilitate dispersal of seed. Common heather also propagates via buds that appear at the base of the stem.
Scientific name of common heather is "Calluna vulgaris". Word "calluna" originates from Greek word "kallune" which means "to clean" or "to brush". Name refers to the usage of branches of common heather for the manufacture of brooms in the past.
Common heather provides shelter and food for the European red grouse. Young shoots and leaves are also important source of food for red deer, mountain hares and domestic sheep.
Common heather is used for the manufacture of beddings, stuffing for pillows and in the industry of ropes, baskets and packaging materials.
Common heather is used as a flavoring agent in the industry of beer, wine and tea. Honey made of common heather has jelly-like texture and strong taste.
Common heather is used in the cosmetic industry for the manufacture of shampoos, lotions, baths and perfumes.
Common heather was used as a source of yellow-orange pigment for painting of wool in the past.
In the language of flowers, common heather symbolizes admiration and good luck.
Common heather is perennial plant that can survive from 30 to 40 years in the wild.


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