Along with five other British webcaps, C. heatherae was selected by Kew Gardens as a highlight of taxa described by the organisation's staff and affiliates in 2020.

In a year-end round-up, Kew scientists selected ten highlights, one of which was six newly described British Cortinarius species: C. heatherae described from Heathrow Airport; C. ainsworthii from Brighton; C. britannicus from Caithness; C. scoticus and C. aurae from the Black Wood of Rannoch; and C. subsaniosus from Cumbria.

[3][2][4] In a press release, Kew identified Cortinarius species as "ecologically important in supporting the growth of plants, particularly trees such as oak, beech, birch and pine" and playing "a key role in the carbon cycling of woodlands and providing nitrogen to trees".

[3] Cortinarius heatherae mushrooms have a cap measuring 3 to 5.7 centimetres (1.2 to 2.2 in) wide, at first convex, later plano-convex with a broad umbo.

The surface is covered in silky whitish fibrils when the mushroom is young, though these are later more apparent only in the margin.

The gills are adnate (attached to the stem on their whole length), medium spaced, and fairly broad.

Bovini, featuring medium-sized, brown mushrooms; caps that become dark spotted with age; the stem is club-shaped; and the spores are almond-shaped.