A prickly contemporary who means it well with everybody

The juniper, being an evergreen cypress plant, loves the sun and needs light and warmth. The open heath offers him an ideal habitat. The juniper is to be found as a meter high column, as well as a shrub or ranking along the ground.

On first appearances the juniper appears to be alone, however is considerate of others as well. It offers many birds’ shelter and food. Insects also avail of it as a place to live. The bees profit from the pollen of the male plant. It protects other shrubs and trees from being bitten. Its pointed needles deter German heath, game and other grazing animals. Its berries, botanically seen as cones, have been used by people as medicine since the middle Ages. They have a dehydrational function and are used in many diets and teas. The delicious “Wacholderschnaps“ (Gin), is a product of its berries also.

 But ungratefulness is the wage of the world. When the juniper is unlucky, the tree that he has protected for years will outgrow him, thus denying him the light and warmth of the sun that he needs to survive. Humans also reduce his living space so that the juniper is on Germany’s endangered list.

The Calluna Vulgaris, which turns the soil acidic

The common heather also commonly called the “Heidekraut”. Its genus', or family name Calluna Vulgaris comes from the Greek word Kallyno, which means “I clean“ or “I sweep“. The common heather determines the overall landscape in the nature park Lüneburger Heide. It is an evergreen dwarf shrub up to 15cm with bright violet blossoms on one side in thick clusters. The blossoms are approx. 4cm. long. 

The Common heather loves bright sunny spots and is to be found on heaths, nutrient poor grassland so called “Magerweiden”, dry woodlands, moors and on stony soil. It functions as an acidity indicator being a plant that only thrives in places with a particular pH level. The soil for the Common heather has to have low levels of acid, and be poor in nutrients and bases.

The heather that prefers it moister

The favourite environments of the crossedleaved heather are moist heathlands, meadows, heathermoors, thickets and heather woods. The crossedleaved heather prefers it somewhat moister. It has been and still is endangered by drainage.

Like the common heather, the crossedleaved heather seeks out soil with low nutrient levels. The crossedleaved heather is an evergreen dwarf shrub, its optimal height being approx. 15cm. to 50cm. The inflorescence is head-umbrella shaped and is made up of 5 to 15 singular blossoms. The crown of the blossom is between 6 and 9 mm. long, is pink and egg shaped cylindrical.

The German heath is definitely the best known animal in the Lüneburger Heide. Moreover the heathland offers a habitat to a variety of rare and endangered animals that are on the red list. You will find a small selection of these animals here.