Broom, Scotch Heather
Calluna vulgaris

Family: Ericaceae

What it is like

A shrub 10-60 cm high. It spreads 10-75 cm wide. It is evergreen. The leaves are in overlapping pairs. The are in opposite pairs and look like scales. The leaves turn brown or dull purple in winter. The flowers are small and bell shaped. They can be white, pink, red or purple. They occur in dense clusters. There are many named varieties.

There is only one Calluna species. Over 400 different cultivated varieties have been selected for flower and leaf colour.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is frost hardy. They need full sun and well-drained acid soil. It grows naturally in the moors in the colder parts of Britain. Soils they are acid and of low fertility suit it best. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. Tasmania Herbarium.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Azores, Balkans, Belarus, Bosnia, Britain, Estonia, Europe, Falklands, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Morocco, North Africa, North America, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scandinavia, Siberia, Slovenia, Sweden, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Ukraine, USA

How it is used for food

The flowers are used to produce Heather ale in Scotland. The dried flower heads are used for tea. The flowers can be substituted for hops in beer making. It is also the source of heather honey. The seeds have been used in famine bread in Poland and Estonia.

Edible parts

Flowers - tea, seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from semi-ripe cuttings or layering. It can be grown from rooted branches.

Its other names

Local names

Heath, Kanarbik, Ling Heather, Navadna kalužnica, Rosslyng, Vieriesk, Virzis, Vris

Synonyms

Erica vulgaris;