The North York Moors hold England’s largest stretch of upland heather moorland, renowned for their late summer display of heather. Come August, the moors will be briefly blanketed by the lilac hues of Ling, or Calluna vulgaris. Another heather, Erica cinerea or Bell heather, blooms in a richer purple from June to September, adorning the well-drained slopes and fringing estate tracks.
The 1898 English Dialect Dictionary lists various local names for Bell heather, such as Bent, Black-heath, Carlin-heather, Crow-ling, Common-heath, Fine-leaved heath, and Rattle-basket. These names, including ‘ling,’ can cause confusion. Elgee referred to the plant as ‘Purple bell heather:’
‘… on the old swiddens there are extensive spreads of the Purple Bell Heath (Erica cinerea) forming what may almost be termed a “cinerea” moor.’
It is a common belief that the moors host only three species of heather. The third, Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix), eludes my own identification attempts. However, a fourth species exists in a singular location: St Dabeoc’s Heath (Daboecia cantabrica). This rare plant hails from the cliffs and heathland of south-western Europe and western Ireland. Its name honours the Irish Saint Dabheog.
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