Flowering heather in The Netherlands
© Bendiks Westerink/Minden Pictures
Flowering heather in The Netherlands
Common heather is the only species in the genus Calluna. The alpine plant was once considered a vulgar symbol of poverty, perhaps because it grows in the rugged heaths and moors of Europe, where the acidic soil makes farming difficult. But at some point during the 19th century, alpine flowers became fashionable in the West and suddenly heather was no longer the lowly bloom of the moorland. And though thistle is the national flower of Scotland, heather blooms are a major cultural symbol of Scottish lore.
Related Images
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Vinicunca Mountain in the Cusco Region of Peru
Trillium Lake in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon
Rio Grande and Sierra del Carmen Mountains in Big Bend National Park, Texas
Prairie and pinnacles near Castle Trail in Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Rajgad Fort near Pune, India
Glastonbury Tor and St Michael's Tower in England for the start of the Glastonbury Festival
Reflections on Crummock Water in the Lake District, Cumbria, England
Bing Today Images
Dramatic sky over Montreal, Quebec
Jun 27, 2026
Splendid leaf frog
Jun 27, 2025
Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore at dusk, Florence, Italy
Jun 27, 2024
Sedona, Arizona
Jun 27, 2023
Rainbow balloons for Pride Day
Jun 27, 2021
The Sanctuary of Madonna della Corona in Italy
Jun 27, 2020
Living root bridge in India
Jun 27, 2019
Concrete dinosaurs along Route 66, Holbrook, Arizona
Jun 27, 2018
