Blooming heather

Where to see wildlife

Pretty in pink

Look for large swathes of heather on Surrey's heaths in late summer and early autumn. Its delicate, loosely arranged pink flowers attract all kinds of nectar-loving insects.

You can find 3 types of heather on Surrey's heathland. These are ling, bell heather and cross-leaved heath

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.