Heather

Calluna vulgaris

infusion · flower

Flowering sprigs drunk as a tea, in traditional Austrian medicine.

Origin

Northern and western Europe

Where to find it

It covers the moors of Scotland, Brittany, the Vosges and the Lüneburg Heath in Germany; the flowering sprigs are cut there in late summer, when beekeepers set out their hives.

Season (United States)

July to September

Preparation

One teaspoon of dried flowering sprigs per cup, ten minutes in barely simmering water; the infusion is strained and drunk.

Did you know?

On the island of Islay, in Scotland, its young shoots once flavored beer.