Calluna can reach 60 centimetres (24 in) in height. It has small-scale leaves (less than 2–3 mm long) borne in opposite and decussate pairs, whereas those of Erica are generally larger and in whorls of 3–4, sometimes 5. It … See more

Calluna was separated from the closely related genus Erica by Richard Anthony Salisbury, who devised the generic name Calluna probably from the Ancient Greek Kallyno ([καλλύνω]), "beautify, sweep clean", in reference to its traditional use in besoms See more

Heather is an important food source for various sheep and deer which can graze the tips of the plants when snow covers low-growing vegetation. Willow grouse and See more

Heather is seen as iconic of Scotland, where the plant grows widely. When poems like Bonnie Auld Scotland speak of "fragrant hills of purple heather', when the hero of See more

Calluna vulgaris is native to Europe, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Azores. It has been introduced into many other places worldwide … See more

There are many named cultivars, selected for variation in flower colour and for different foliage colour and growing habits. See more

Formerly heather was used to dye wool yellow and to tan leather. With malt, heather is an ingredient in gruit, a mixture of flavourings used in the brewing of heather-beer during … See more