Family: heathers (Ericaceae)
Bloom period: August–September
Size: 20–50 cm
Habitat: forests, heaths, marshes, and acidic meadows
Autumn heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a shrub with numerous knobbly shoots. Its small, 2 to 4 mm long, scaly leaves overlap in a roof-like fashion. With the coming autumn, numerous miniature flowers unfold, grouped into one-sided panicles at the tops of the shoots. If we are precise and view the flower up close, we notice that the dark pink cup is longer than the lighter petals. The base of the flower is also surrounded by a green outer cup, formed by four supporting leaves, and inside the flower there are eight stamens.
Autumn heather grows on very barren, humus-rich acidic soils, mainly on non-carbonate substrates, but the soil on carbonate substrates can also become acidic enough for heather to thrive there. With the exception of the high mountains in the northwest, it is widespread throughout Slovenia.
Because of its late flowering, autumn heather is a welcome nectar plant; its medicinal effects are also well known. In folk medicine, tea is used to treat rheumatism, kidneys and bladder, and to relieve problems with kidney stones; it is also used for rinsing inflamed eyes and for compresses for skin diseases.
