Caledonian Heather

Caledonian Heather is a magical variety of a low-growing evergreen shrub originating in the heathland of Scotland.

## Description

This evergreen bush has small, scale-like leaves along its stems, and when it blooms in late summer, many bell-shaped flowers of a mauve hue cover its long twigs. The bushes can grow up to 3" tall, but are usually no more than 1.5" in height. The flowers themselves have a mellow, floral flavor and make a good tea.

### Magical Properties

While not all potions with these effects may use Caledonian Heather as an ingredient, these are traits commonly ascribed to the plant:

* Solar magic and sunlight
* Earth element
* Sleep
* Gates and Portals, other realms
* Autumn,
* Healing: aches, antiseptic, detoxifier, anti-poison
* Wildness and ruggedness, endurance
* Solitude
* Beauty
* Anti-anxiety

Rare white-flowered varieties are especially prized for their magical potency, but are only found rarely in the wild, and will change color if transplanted. These snow-white blossoms are brimming with magic and seem to bring luck in battle. Due to this, when found, they tend to be completely harvested and dried for future use as a rare ingredient; they fetch a higher price on the market.

## Habitat

Heath and moorland, bogs, rocky hills, mountaintops, and in sunny areas of conifer/pine woodlands. It is commonly found in thin soils with limited nutrients. This cold-hardy plant survives freezing temperatures all the way below -20 Celsius without trouble.

It is quite popular with bees, and heather-honey is a popular product with a strong flavor and a unique jelly-like texture.

### How to Collect

Trim a length of the flowering shoot off.

### How to Prepare

It is best fresh, but can be used as (and is often sold as) dried flower shoots, since it usually flowers only in late summer and early autumn. It can be hung in bouquets to dry for a few days, then placed in a jar. Special greenhouses can alter the plants' flowering rhythms by controlling the weather pattern around the plant to make it flower in other seasons, however.

## Gardening

It is quite popular as an ornamental for landscaping purposes, particularly in areas with low-nutrient acidic soils (usually those where pines thrive), as it is both beautiful and low-maintenance. It does well in the same well-drained, acidic soils used for Kitsune Mitt, blueberries, and potatoes. Add peat moss (not lime!) to lower the soil ph, if you have more alkali soils.

**It prefers full sun** but can handle partial sun, though the colors and magical potency will be less intense. It should only be watered 1-2 times per week and, once established, watered only rarely as it is drought-tolerant. **Overwatering or adding fertilizer will slow the plant's growth!**

Heather is best planted in the fall or early spring, and should be spaced at least 2' apart for good air circulation (which also effects potency). **It MUST be pruned after it blooms**, below the old flowers on the branch, or the branch will die.

The seeds sprout best after a wildfire, so should be lightly roasted with a flame no hotter than 250 degrees F for about 30 seconds; any hotter may damage the seed. Then sprinkle the seeds and dust them with soil, keep moist, and wait for them to germinate. Alternatively, 6" tips of heather cuttings can be rooted in moist compost and left in a shady spot to begin rooting. Both methods take at least a few months to begin growing, though willow tincture can be applied to cuttings to expedite root growth.

## Known Uses of Caledonian Heather

In addition to honey, minor craft projects (including thatching, baskets, brooms, ropes) with the thin wood stems, and dyes (gold to green to purple), Caledonian Heather is used in the following recipes:

* Sleeping Tea
* Calming Tea
* Astral Elixir
* Antidote
* Luck (white)
* ...?