Many of you will, I’m sure, be familiar with this plant, with the way it paints hillsides, heaths and moorlands in subtle shades of pink, lilac and purple when flowering, but have you looked more closely at its flowers? They are really quite beautiful. This is, of course, Calluna vulgaris, commonly known as Heather, and also Ling. As the Wildlife Trusts website reminds us

Historically, heather has been used for many purposes, such as fuel, fodder, building materials, thatch, packing and ropes. It was also used to make brooms, which is how it got its Latin name – Calluna is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘to brush’.