Calluna
Flowering Calluna vulgaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ericales Family: Ericaceae Genus: Calluna Salisb. Species: C. vulgaris
Binomial name
Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull

Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is the true Heather of Europe, and National Flower of Norway. However it also has an affiliation to Scotland. It is a small perennial shrub growing to 20-50 cm tall (rarely to 1 m), and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on well-drained acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade. It is tolerant of moderate grazing and can regenerate following occasional burning. It is often managed in nature reserves using a light burning method. It is a common, often dominating, component of heath and moorland habitats, and also on peat bogs and in open pine forests. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 702 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 874 pixel, file size: 400 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Divisions Green algae land plants (embryophytes) non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses vascular plants (tracheophytes) seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongue ferns seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class of flowering plants. ... Families See text. ... Genera See text The plant Family Ericaceae (Heath Family) or ericaceous plants are mostly lime-hating or calcifuge plants that thrive in acid soils. ... Richard Anthony Salisbury (May 2, 1761 - 1829) was a British botanist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Heather may refer to: In botany, the plant Calluna. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... Genera See text The plant Family Ericaceae (Heath Family) or ericaceous plants are mostly lime-hating or calcifuge plants that thrive in acid soils. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Red Valerian, a perennial plant. ... A broom shrub in flower A shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 6 m tall. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to... For other uses, see Acid (disambiguation). ... Heaths are anthropogenic habitats found primarily in northern and western Europe, where they have been created by thousands of years of human clearance of natural forest vegetation by grazing and burning on mainly infertile acidic soils. ... Moorland in the Pennines (England); Coarse grasses and bracken tend to dominate especially in high rainfall areas. ... Wiktionary has a definition of: Bog Virgin boreal acid bogs at Browns Lake Bog, Ohio A bog is a wetland type that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material. ... For other uses, see Pine (disambiguation). ...

It is separated from the closely related genus Erica by its four-parted corolla and calyx. The flowers emerge in late summer, and in the wild species these are usually in purple or mauve shades. For other uses, see Erica (disambiguation). ... Corolla can be: A Latin-language term for crown The Toyota Corolla, a model of automobile manufactured by Toyota The corolla is one whorl of the perianth of a flower and composed of petals The town of Corolla, North Carolina This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that... Tetramerous flower of the Primrose Willowherb (Ludwigia octovalvis) showing petals and sepals A sepal (from Latin separatus separate + petalum petal) is a part of the flower of angiosperms or flower plants. ...

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. Red Grouse feed on young shoots and seeds. Both adult and larva of the Heather Beetle Lochmaea suturalis feed on it, and can cause extensive mortality in some instances. The larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species also feed on the plant - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Heather. Binomial name Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse family. ... A larval insect A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... Lochmaea suturalis, commonly referred to as the heather beetle, is a beetle of the genus Lochmaea native to north-west Europe. ... The order Lepidoptera is the second most speciose order in the class Insecta and includes the butterflies, moths and skippers. ... Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is used as a food plant by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species including: Autumnal Rustic (Eugnorisma glareosa) Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae) Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) Emperor Moth (Pavonia pavonia) The Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia) Ingrailed Clay (Diarsia mendica) Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) Lime...

The personal name "Heather" was inspired by the plant.

Cultivation and uses

Heather is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and for landscaping. There are many named cultivars selected for variation in flower color, and for different foliage color and growing habits. Petunia This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This Osteospermum Pink Whirls is a successful cultivar. ...

Different cultivars have flower colors ranging from white, through pink and a wide range of purples, and including reds. The flowering season with different cultivars extends from late July to November in the northern hemisphere. The flowers may turn brown but still remain on the plants over winter, and this can lead to interesting effects.

Cultivars with ornamental foliage are usually selected for reddish and golden leaf color. A few forms can be silvery grey. Many of the ornamental foliage forms change color with the onset of winter weather, usually increasing in intensity of colour. Some forms are grown for distinctive young spring foliage.

The plant was introduced to New Zealand and has become an invasive weed in some areas, notably the Tongariro National Park, overgrowing native plants. Heather beetles have been released to stop the heather, with preliminary trials successful to date [1]. Lantana invasion of abandoned citrus plantation; Moshav Sdey Hemed, Israel The term invasive species refers to a subset of introduced species or non-indigenous species that are rapidly expanding outside of their native range. ... Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. ...

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'. For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ...

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 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.^{[citation needed]} Gruit (or sometimes grut) is an old fashioned herb mixture used for bittering and flavouring beer, before the extensive use of hops. ... For other uses, see Beer (disambiguation). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Hop umbel (branched floral structure resembling nested-inverted umbrellas) in a Hallertau hop yard Hops are a flower used primarily as a flavouring and stability agent in beer, as well as in herbal medicine. ... Species About 50, including: Claviceps africanum Claviceps fusiformis Claviceps paspali Claviceps purpurea Ergot is the common name of a fungus in the genus Claviceps that is parasitic on certain grains and grasses. ...

References

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Calluna vulgaris