plants & butterflies

Heather

Calluna vulgaris

This is the true heather - the genus Erica, which gives its name to the acidic compost gardeners use, ericaceous, is properly called heath or bell heather. You can tell them apart because the flowers of bell heather are one continuous bell shape, hence the name, while heather has four separate petals. The leaves of heather grow spaced along alternate sides of the stem, while those of heath are grouped in threes around the stem.