-Botanical The heather is a little bush, always green, because it doesn't lost its leaves in winter. These leaves are very small, and look like pine needles. We can currently distinguish more than 800 different species of heather. It's flowers are most of time pink, or white.
It's a kind of plant which, with Gorse, Fern and Broom, likes to live in moors.
Month: None
Color: Purple
Letter in the Ogham: U
Meaning: Healing and development on the spiritual level
The symbolism around Heather is very poor. In Roman mythology, it was probably linked with the Goddess Erycine, who controlled loving passions. In Phoenicia and Egypt, this plant was associated with Isis and Osiris, the 2 most important Gods in Egyptian mythology. Osiris was the guardian of Underworld.
-Healing
As a medication, only the flowers can be used.
Heather's most important properties are antiseptic and diuretic. More of that, it can also be used as a sedative, and as an hypnotic (it helps sleeping well). It's indicated to cure urinary troubles and kidney stones.
And in some regions, old people will tell you that Heather is an efficient medication against rheumatism.
-Physical uses
Heather's wood is a very fine one, and that's why it's used to create little items, like pipes. Poor countries knew how to use this plant to make roofs, brooms or cob walls. Heather burns easily, and for that it was appreciated by bakers.
The cattle like to eat this plant, but only the young one. Because of this, numerous shepherds burned the field, to encourage new heather to grow. But this technique was dangerous for the territory, because it could make it barren.
Heather's flowers are also very appreciated by bees, which produce a delicious honey with it.
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