A delicate heathland plant, Erica cinerea, commonly known as bell heather, could soon return to Epping Forest as part of a new conservation effort.

Bell heather vanished from the ancient woodland in the 1960s and has struggled to survive in Essex, where its only known location is Tiptree Heath near Colchester.

Conservationists from Essex Wildlife Trust plan to transport root cuttings from Tiptree to Epping Forest to reintroduce the species.

Jeremy Dagley, the trust’s conservation director, expressed hope that the initiative would “pave the way for future conservation efforts.”

Bell heather, recognisable by its dark purple-pink, bell-shaped flowers, thrives in specific conditions—dry, free-draining acid heathland—making it rare and vulnerable in the East of England.

The operation’s success is credited to botanical expert Paul Fletcher, who devised a method to harvest cuttings without harming the plants at Tiptree.

“Air pollution has been a big issue, particularly in London where Epping Forest is situated, and things like bracken and other faster growing plants that like higher nitrogen [in the soil], they’ve done better,” he said.

“So something like bell heather which likes these dry, rich soils, along the tops of the hills of Essex, doesn’t like lots of nutrients, doesn’t like lots of fertiliser, and doesn’t do well in competition with things like grasses and bracken.”

Tiptree Heath, managed by Essex Wildlife Trust and the Friends of Tiptree Heath, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The City of London Corporation manages Epping Forest.

“I think the small, giving to the big – it’s a nice touch,” said Dr Dagley.

Benjamin Murphy, chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee, hailed the project as an “exciting milestone” in preserving the region’s ecological heritage.

 

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