Silver-studded blue butterfly (Plebeius argus) worn male at rest on bell heather (Erica cinerea). Minsmere RSPB reserve in Suffolk. July 2011. - Chris Gomersall/2020VISION
Blooming heather
Pretty in pink
Look for large swathes of heather in late summer and early autumn. Its delicate, loosely arranged pink flowers attract all kinds of nectar-loving insects.
Bell heather {Erica tetralix}, among pine trees, at Arne (RSPB) Nature Reserve, Dorset, UK. September 2011. - Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION
Close-up of Bell heather Erica cinerea, Flow Country, Scotland, June - Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
Silver-studded blue butterfly (Plebeius argus) worn male at rest on bell heather (Erica cinerea). Minsmere RSPB reserve in Suffolk. July 2011. - Chris Gomersall/2020VISION
Heather in bloom on lowland heathland, Rockford Common, Linwood, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK - Guy Edwardes/2020VISION
When to see heather
Ling
The delicate pink flowers of common heather or 'ling' appear from August to October and are a contrast to the tough, wiry, sprawling stems they grow upon. Plants grow tightly packed together and can live for up to 40 years or more.
Bell heather
Bell heather particularly likes acidic, dry, well-drained soils. The dark purple-pink, bell-shaped flowers appear between July and September, carpeting heathlands and bringing them to life with the buzzing of nectar-loving bees and insects.
Cross-leaved heath
is a type of heather that gets its name from the distinctive whorls of four leaves that occur along its stems. An evergreen shrub, it prefers acid bogs and wet heath or moorland. It flowers between June and September and attracts many nectar-loving insects, including bees and moths.Â
