Wordless Wednesday – Sweetly Scented First Bluebells

Bluebell- Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Native Bluebell – Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Bluebell - Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Native Bluebell – Hyacinthoides non-scripta –  nectar rich and visited by Bees, Butterflies and Hoverflies. Warren Wood, Bedfordshire.

55 thoughts on “Wordless Wednesday – Sweetly Scented First Bluebells

      • Thank you, Julie. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a mass of bluebells in Canada. I’ve seen a few, but not a group of many. Maybe in Vancouver/Victoria area, where the temperature is more moderate. But I will try to grow some one of these days.

    • Are you a member? We are in one of the few counties without a local group. This year I took part in the New Year wildflower hunt, but would like to be involved more.

      • I hear they run very good training courses for all levels, I feel like you and would like to get more involved. We have a very good local Wildlife trust group that we belong to and some of our speakers and walk leaders have been brilliant, I would recommend that organisation too.

      • We go along regularly to events with the Flit Vale group, who meet in Maulden, Beds, they have talks through the winter and walks hosted by experts through the Spring, Summer and Autumn and lately also to the South Bedfordshire Group. If you go onto the London Wildlife Trusts website you will find a tab under ‘how you can help’ then scroll down to ‘find your local group’. I did volunteer too with the National Plant monitoring scheme last year but was allocated a field with 30 cows in, so gave my square up and am waiting for another local one. They have free training courses, which you can go to. I attended ones on sedges and grasses which was excellent but said cows stopped me putting in into practise!

    • Thanks Susie, I tried to show the way native Bluebells bend over under the weight of the flowers, as mainly they are all on one side of the stem, as opposed to the Spanish ones which are all around the stem.

  1. Lovely to see native bluebells – I keep checking in hope but all the bluebells near me seem to be the very upright Spanish ones. Still pretty, though!

    • Apparently the two can hybridise – I’m not sure I have ever seen a Bluebell Hybrid but keep looking wherever we see Bluebells – the Spanish ones are supposed to be the stronger. Plantlife report that one in six broad-leafed woodlands have Spanish or hybridised Bluebells.

    • Thanks Debra, although we moan about the rain here, bluebells thrive on the damp woodland floors before the canopies leaf over and walking through a woodland among a carpet of Bluebells is really special.

  2. A lovely picture Julie, It is one of THE best sites a woodland covered in bluebells.
    I have come to the conclusion that the ones in our garden are not the native ones and will start to remove them.

    • Thanks Brian, we are so fortunate to have native Bluebells in our woodlands, I agree seeing them carpet a woodland floor is absolutely wonderful. Sorry to hear you have some Spanish ones, they are pretty but probably better to remove them.

  3. Our bluebells are nowhere near flowering yet, though I’ve seen plenty of the Spanish ones in peoples’ gardens. Beautiful photo – you have captured that glorious purple-blue colour.

    • We only have a few so far Clare and the forecast for more cold nights may mean its a little longer before we see a carpet. Can you remind me of the wood you visited with lots of Bluebells a couple of years ago, was it Captains Wood?

      • I visited Reydon Wood a couple of years ago and it was full of bluebells at the beginning of May. When we visited Captain’s Wood last year at the beginning of May there were hardly any flowers out yet but it had been a very cold spring last year. I am hoping that all the Spanish bluebells will have finished before the natives start blooming so the chance of cross-pollination is lessened.

      • Thanks Clare, I shall look Reydon Wood up, this feels like a cold spring again, or up and down at least. Tomorrow looks to be good though. Yes, that’s a thought too on Spanish, they do seem to flower earlier.

    • They are graceful! That’s the main difference between our native Bluebells and the Spanish ones Eliza, which are causing problems by hybridising. The natives bend to one side under the weight of the flowers, they are scented and have creamy white stamens too. Whereas the Spanish ones are upright and flower all the way round the stem.

    • Hopefully by the end of this month we shall see carpets of Bluebells, our weather is not good though, colder and rain, hope its better where you are Cathy!

      • Hi Julie. I’m in the UK this week! Have seen a few bluebells around here in Northants. Strangely enough the hedgerows and trees are no greener here than in Germany, despite your mild winter.

      • I’ve seen folk post photos of Apple blossom in London but in Beds down the road from you currently, barely a bud break.Tomorrow is forecast some lovely sunshine here, I hope you get to enjoy that Cathy before you go back.

  4. Beautiful! The native bluebell in my part of the world is Mertensia virginica. I planted some Spanish bluebells in one of my beds and since then have been warned they are super aggressive. If they start displacing my other plants I’ll pull them out.

    • Over here the Spanish can hybridise our natives, apparently one in every 6 UK woodlands now has hybrids. Mertensia virginica is a beautiful plant Jason, I bet en masse thats a wonderful sight too.

    • Thanks Tammy, I’ve seen photos of Mertensia, the flowers are beautiful and read its scented too, so must be a wonderful time when they are in flower en masse. 🙂

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