Plants

Heath Milkwort

Heath Milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia)

Heath Milkwort is the commonest of all milkworts and frequently occurs in or around our blanket bogs. The whole plant stands at just 5 - 20 cm with a scrambling growth form. From June to September it develops flowers of various shades of blue, pink or white in clusters of less than 10 per stem which somewhat resemble tiny orchid blossoms. Their family name is derived from the greek meaning 'much milk', as it was once believed that cattle grazing on the plant had enhanced milk yields. It is distributed throughout most of Northern Ireland.

Click here to view a distribution map of the Heath Milkwort in Northern Ireland.