Bees are good for world. We need them so it’s best to protect the things that help them and it turns out that heather, a pretty purple flower, is stuffed full of a “medicine” that helps our winged friends fight off parasites. But heather is having a rough time of it due to disappearing habitat.

The medicine is found in the nectar from these flowers and contains a chemical that fights off a parasite found in the guts of bumblebees. The same chemical is also found in a few other plants like the strawberry tree but it it is most potent in heather. The purple flowers are native to heath and moorland areas and these lands are disappearing.

These lands are very important to the bumblebee and need to be preserved to help them to continue to thrive. It’s part of a healthy diet for these insects and besides, it looks very pretty.