Calluna vulgaris, Ericaceae
A highly recognisable plant native to Europe and Western Asia, common heather is particularly important in Scotland, to which is often associated.
Here heather has dominated the acidic moorland landscape since antiquity, and has spread as deforestation was leaving the British Isles bare of the original forest cover. As often happens, habitats with severe conditions allow for more specialised connections to establish, and this plant is at the center of a wide web.
It all starts with heather volunteering as the main species on an otherwise mossy/grassy open moor surrounded by rock or woodland. Occasional shrubs or boulders can be the center around which heather begins expanding, and as you can see in the middle photo, the flowers readily attract pollinators - a Bombus lucorum in this case. Honey has historically been produced from heather and is known for the particular texture, viscous and jelly-like until agitated, which is clearly visible in this video. The plant is also directly browsed on by a few species of insects, deer and grouse, which in turn attract more wildlife.
But heather has much more to offer when it comes to the ways in which it has been historically used as a valuable and abundant resource by the people inhabiting its landscape. Aside from the aforementioned honey production, a tea with astringent, urinary antiseptic and diuretic properties is made with the flowering stems, traditionally used to relief coughs and colds, and the young shoots are used, together with malt, to brew heather beer in absence of hops (tried it, liked it).
The bark is a source of tannins used for curing leather, while a yellow dye perfect for wool is produced from the whole plant. The branches are also used for thatching, crafting brooms, ropes and baskets, stuffing and insulating while, when not burnt as combustible, the roots can be used for woodcarving.
Lastly, the plant is commonly used as an ornamental as gound cover or in hedging, and is certainly a great addition to a wildlife garden with the right soil properties, as it can be tricky to establish as successfully as in nature.
(Note: as Ulex europaeus brought from Scotland proved invasive in New Zealand, Calluna vulgaris is another UK native which is currently out competing native flora on the other side of the world. Be considerate when planting.)
