Ling (or common heather) is a short, dense evergreen shrub with leaves that are hairless and dark green. They are very small and overlap each other in opposite rows.
Its tiny flowers are white or purple/pink (from July to September).
This is the most common of the three heather species in the New Forest and it thrives on acid soils. Of the other two types of heather, bell heather prefers dry conditions whereas cross leaved-heath prefers very wet conditions.
Ling leaves are tiny and in-rolled to prevent water loss through evaporation. This means it can cope well with extremes in weather conditions. It has a long flowering season which means it has a good pollination success rate.
Producer - As a green plant ling produces energy through the process of photosynthesis.
Heather is sometimes cut and baled and used to dam streams as part of the project to recreate wetland habitats.
Help to look after the heathland habitat by taking your litter home and prevent heathland fires by only using designated barbecue areas in the Forest.