Description:
An evergreen Shrub growing to 0.6m by 0.5m.
Distribution and habitat:
Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground cover; Hedge.
Hetaher is found in much of Europe, including Britain, to N.
W. Morocco. Less abundant in the east of its range.
It grows on well-drained acidic soils in open
sunny situations and in moderate shade. It is tolerant of moderate
grazing and can regenerate from occasional burning. It is a common
component of heath and moorland habitats.
Hystory:
The generic name Calluna is derived from a Greek word meaning
'to sweep', as the plant was used to make brooms. The specific
name vulgaris is derived from a Latin word for 'common'.
Heather is an important food source for various animals such
as sheep and deer, which can graze the tips of the plants when
snow covers low growing vegetation.
Heather is an ingredient in gruit, a mixture of flavourings
used in the brewing of beer during the Middle Ages before the
use of hops. The use of heather in the brewing of the modern
heather beer Fraoch is carefully regulated. By law the heather
must be cleaned carefully before brewing, as the undersides
of the leaves may contain a dusting of an ergot-like fungus,
which is a hallucinogenic intoxicant.
Heather is The national flower of Norway
Also a female name originated by the Anglo-Saxons.
Parts used:
Flowers
Constituens:
Edible Uses:
Condiment; Tea.
A tea is made from the flowering stems. A kind of mead was
once brewed from the flowers and the young shoots have been
used instead of hops to flavour beer.
Medicinal Uses:
Antiseptic;
Bach;
Cholagogue;
Depurative;
Diaphoretic;
Diuretic;
Expectorant;
Sedative;
Vasoconstrictor.
Heather has a long history of medicinal use in folk medicine.
In particular it is a good urinary
antiseptic and
diuretic,
disinfecting the urinary tract and mildly increasing urine
production. The flowering shoots are antiseptic,
astringent,
cholagogue,
depurative,
diaphoretic, diuretic,
dxpectorant,
mildly
sedative and
vasoconstrictor.
The plant is often macerated and made into a liniment for treating
rheumatism and arthritis, whilst a hot poultice is
a traditional remedy for chilblains. An infusion of the flowering
shoots is used in the treatment of coughs, colds, bladder and kidney disorders,
cystitis etc. A cleansing and detoxifying plant, it has been
used in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and gout. The
flowering stems are harvested in the autumn and dried for later
use. The plant is used in
Bach flower
remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Self-centredness'
and 'Self-concern'. A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh
branches. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis
and insomnia.
Others Uses:
Basketry;
Besom;
Dye;
Fuel;
Ground cover;
Hedge;
Insulation;
Musical;
Tannin;
Thatching.
The branches have many uses, including in
Thatching,
as a bedding or a stuffing for mattresses, for
insulation,
basketry,
rope making and for making brooms. The dried branches are
a good fuel.
The rootstock can
be made into musical pipes.
A yellow dye is
obtained from the plant. The bark is a source of tannin.
Heather can be grown as a low hedge and
is quite useful as an edging to beds. It is fairly amenable
to trimming. A useful
ground
cover plant for covering dry banks. The cultivar
'White Lawn' has been recommended. All except the very dwarf
cultivars will need trimming each spring in order to keep
them compact.
Safety:
None known
