Heather delights

Nidderdale Moorland Group

The purple haze that carpets our moors through the late summer days of August into September is now appearing quickly as the colder damp weather of the previous weeks moves away and the sun is finally shining.

Ling Heather is starting to bloom as the earlier Bell Heather and Cross-leaved Heath flowers start to fade and die back.

The Ling Heather (Calluna vulgaris) which carpets our moorlands is a major late season foraging plant, not only for the wild population of Bees, but also for our local Beekeepers with their hives of Honeybees which have now returned to the moors for about the next six weeks to take advantage of the purple bloom to make 'heather honey'.

Heather is vital in providing a natural 'Bumblebee medicine' which is active against a harmful bee parasite.

Nectar gathered from the Heather has the most potent amount of the chemical 'callunene' which Bees need to maintain a healthy balance between themselves and the internal parasite which is harmful to them.

Managing and restoring areas of Heather alongside other moorland plants such as Bilberry creates a mosaic of habitats that benefits many species including the rare and declining Bilberry Bumblebee (B.monticola).

Our managed moorlands are wildlife rich habitats.