Calluna facts for kids
Heather (its scientific name is Calluna vulgaris) is a beautiful plant that belongs to the Calluna group. It's the only type of plant in this group, and it's part of the Ericaceae family, which includes many other flowering plants.
Heather is a small, tough plant that grows close to the ground. It's a perennial shrub, meaning it lives for more than two years. It usually grows about 20 to 50 centimeters (8 to 20 inches) tall, but sometimes it can reach up to 1 meter (3 feet).
Where Heather Grows
You can find heather all over Europe and a part of Asia called Asia Minor. It loves places with acidic soil, where it can get lots of sunshine or a little bit of shade.
Heather is super common in certain landscapes. It's often the main plant you see on heaths and moorlands in Europe. It also grows in some bogs and in pine and oak forests where the soil is acidic.
Heather's Importance
Heather is a very important plant for many animals. It's a key food source for different kinds of sheep and deer. These animals can munch on the tips of the heather plants, especially when snow covers other low-growing plants.
Birds like Willow Grouse and Red Grouse also enjoy eating heather. They feed on the young shoots and seeds. Even tiny creatures like the Heather Beetle (Lochmaea suturalis) depend on it. Both the adult beetles and their young (called larvae) eat heather. The larvae of many types of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) also feed on this plant.
Heather Honey
Heather is also famous for its special honey. Beekeepers often move their beehives to areas with lots of heather in late summer. This is so their bees can collect nectar from the heather flowers.
Heather honey has a very strong taste and a unique texture. It's quite thick, almost like a jelly, until you stir it. Once you stir it, it becomes more like a syrup, but then it turns back into a jelly again! This special quality makes it hard to get the honey out of the honeycomb. Because of this, heather honey is often sold still inside the comb honey.
Images for kids
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Calluna flower close-up
See also
In Spanish: Calluna vulgaris para niños
