la bruyère

In the two years or so since I have been taking French at the Alliançe Française d'Austin, my name has been the cause for discussion several times. Heather is not a French name nor does it have an equivalent. However, la bruyère, which is the French word for the flower, is very common in French culture. Last evening, my French teacher and friend, gave me a lovely potted Heather because we discuss it so much. Heathers are found throughout Western Europe and in parts of northeastern North America and Siberia but are native to Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Russia, and northern North America. Their colors are usually pink or mauve in nature but can range from white through pink and purple and even into shades of red. They typically bloom in late summer but blooms spread from July to November. Though their flowers may turn brown in winter, they are an evergreen branching shrub. They need acidic soil and are a traditional remedy used in Swedish herbal medicine. The word, Heather, is of Scottish origin, presumably derived from the Scots word Haeddre. But what is in a name, anyway?

Updated with a picture for my brother