Dunwich heather back in bloom after remarkable recovery - National Trust

Dunwich Heath, a rare heathland habitat cared for by the National Trust on the Suffolk coast is showing signs of recovery, with its patchwork of pink and purple heather back in bloom after being severely impacted by extreme heat and drought in 2022.

Part of the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths National Landscape, the site is nationally important for the rare and precious habitat that is home to special species including nightjar, woodlark and adders.

Three different types of heather typically grow and flower there from June to September - common, bell and cross-leaved – transforming the landscape into a bright and vibrant patchwork. But hotter, drier summers are pushing the limits of what the heather can cope with. Two years ago, a drought in the summer months coincided with the middle of the heather flowering season, the consequence of which was almost the entire heath failed to flower with some plants also dying.

Last summer, specialist drone surveys using infrared technology confirmed that there had been a 60% loss in heather, with visible areas of die off and discoloration raising concerns about the wider impact on the habitat, which is the last large area of coastal heathland in the area.

Where there was significant die off in the heather, there was also a lower number of insects, particularly pollinators, which provide crucial food for nesting birds. Resident species such as the Dartford warbler depend on reliable food sources year-round, with numbers dropping from 30 breeding pairs to just under 20 from 2022 to 2023.

This year, however, there have been encouraging signs of recovery of the heather with a recent drone survey, conducted at the end of June, revealing that a further 11% of heather has recovered. National Trust rangers believe that this is due to increased rainfall as February was the wettest on record in East Anglia.