Flowering heather in The Netherlands
© Bendiks Westerink/Minden Pictures
Flowering heather in The Netherlands
Common heather is the only species in the genus Calluna. The plant was once considered a vulgar symbol of poverty, perhaps because it grows in the rugged heaths and moors of Europe, where the acidic soil makes farming difficult. But at some point during the 19th century, heather became a fashionable ornamental flowering shrub and was no longer considered the lowly bloom of the moorland. And though the thistle is the national flower of Scotland, heather blooms are a major cultural symbol in Scottish lore.
Related Images
Wat Tang Sai Temple in Ban Krut, Thailand
Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
Rainbow over Wasson Peak, Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah
Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California
Red rock formations, Sedona, Arizona
Paro Taktsang, a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan
Castle Stalker on Loch Laich, Argyll, Scotland
Today on Bing
Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore at dusk, Florence, Italy
Jun 27, 2024
Sedona, Arizona
Jun 27, 2023
The Sanctuary of Madonna della Corona in Italy
Jun 27, 2020