Wild Tea - Heather

The heather in bloom at Plant Listening’s base in Galloway

The heathers are in bloom up here in serene Galloway, and the hills are awash with colour and honey-scent. I love setting out on long walks that mean wading through the heather, whose densely tufted heads are as soft as the best bed. To walk over heather is to release its healing potential - the small bells of its flowers shaking out aerosols that soothe the lungs after flus and bronchitis.

It’s also my favourite wild tea this month - a gently fragrant brew beloved of the ancient celts. A celebration of the flowering moorland, it was said to be local poet Robert Burn’s favourite tea. His version was made with the flowering heather tops of ling, combined with the dried leaves of bilberry, bramble, thyme and wild strawberry - all plants that are gently astringent, helping with digestion. To make a tea like this simply gather the plants fresh, place in a pot and then leave to brew for five minutes before drinking.