Monday, 24 March 2014

Calluna vulgaris – Heather, Ling

  Ling Heather is an attractive pink wildflower common in the British Isles. It is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to two feet high and has dense terminal flower spikes and sepal-like bracts at flower bases.


  Its pink-purple urn shaped flowers are on show for long periods which means it is an excellent source of pollen for insects like bees and butterflies. Its leaves are 1-3mm long growing on its branches, they are stalk-less and grow in four vertical rows. The leaves are scale like, dark green and curve in at the edges, because of this, the plant can retain water well and can thrive in areas like peat bogs which can sometimes dry up the roots in summer. This type of heather tends to prefer acid soils. The specimen I have picture is planted in an ornamental bed in a public park.






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