Bluebell

Bluebells are a very common springtime sight, a short carpeting perennial in a beautiful vibrant blue and occasionally white colour.

Uses

Bluebells are perfect for adding character and colour to a meadow, hedgerows, and slightly shady areas like woods.

Persistence

Bluebells are quite a persistent species with some resistance to weed killer, the bulbs must be removed in order to fully remove the species.

Strengths

Bluebells flower much earlier than other woodland plants, being of high nectar value to insects like bees, butterflies and hoverflies.

Frost Tolerance

The English Bluebell is quite a hardy species, they don't mind the cold and are able to survive in low temperatures for short periods of time.

Sowing Rate Advice

1g/m2

Ideal Sowing Time

Bluebells require fairly warm and moist ground followed by a cooler period before germination, due to this it is recommended to sow in late summer. However the seed will eventually germinate if sown at any time of the year.

Management

Bluebells require very little management. Trampling or pulling out the bulb centers of bluebells will kill them, but cutting does not affect persistency.

Distinguishing characteristics

Seed
Bluebell seeds are fairly small and round in shape with a very shiny finish.

Seedling
Bluebell seedlings are fairly long, thin and look very similar to a single blade of grass, sometimes it will be one individually or a cluster.

Flowering Plant
Short hairless carpeting perennial, leaves are linear, keeled with a hooded tip all from the roots. Flowers azure blue, occasionally white. They are elongated bell-shaped, fragrant in a long one-sided spike, curling at the tip and full of yellow stamens.

Additional Info

Flowers April-June. They have a faint honey smell.

You can find Bluebell in the following mixtures

• Woodland Edge and Shady Area Mixture

History

In the Elizabethan era bluebell bulbs were crushed to create starch for the ruffs of collars and sleeves, the sap was once used to bind pages of books.