Common Old World heath represented by many varieties; low evergreen grown widely in the northern hemisphere; SYN. ling, Scots heather, broom, Calluna vulgaris.
Low-growing evergreen shrub of the heath family, common on sandy or acid soil. The common heather Calluna vulgaris is a carpet-forming shrub, growing up to 60 cm/24 in high and bearing pale pink-purple flowers. It is found over much of Europe and has been introduced to North America.