How to Say "Heather" in German

Heidekraut

[ˈhaɪ̯dəˌkʁaʊ̯t]neuter

The English word heather is translated into German as Heidekraut. Wiktionary also lists Besenheide.

Meaning: plant (noun)

Ways to say it

“heather” in German
German	IPA	Note
Heidekraut	[ˈhaɪ̯dəˌkʁaʊ̯t] (narrow)	neuter
Besenheide		feminine

Both terms refer to the heather plant.

The word Heidekraut is a compound of Heide, meaning heath or moorland and Kraut, meaning herb or plant.

Besenheide is a feminine noun and is used with the feminine article die. Heidekraut is a neuter noun and is used with the neuter article das.

The term Heide meaning 'heath' is a linguistic relative of the English word 'heath' and the word 'heathen', as both originally described people living on the open moorlands.
The word Besenheide literally translates to 'broom heath'. This refers to the traditional practice of using the stiff branches of the heather plant to bind handmade brooms.
While 'herb' is the translation for Kraut, in modern German this word is often used colloquially to describe any weed or unwanted plant in a garden.

Heidekraut ist ein schöner, immergrüner Strauch.
The heather is a beautiful evergreen shrub.
This sentence is useful for describing Heidekraut as a beautiful evergreen shrub.
Tatoeba #12779302 by Yorwba, translation #10860735 by Amastan
Das Heidekraut blüht im Spätsommer.
The heather blooms in late summer.
Ich pflanze dieses Heidekraut in den Garten.
I am planting this heather in the garden.

Lukas and Hannah are walking through a moorland.

Lukas

Siehst du das lila Heidekraut dort?
Do you see the purple heather over there?
Hannah

Ja, es sieht wunderschön aus.
Yes, it looks beautiful.
Lukas

Lass uns das Heidekraut fotografieren.
Let's take a photo of the heather.
Hannah

Das ist eine gute Idee.
That is a good idea.

Sources

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