Species of the day: Bluebell

By James Duncan

Learning & Engagement Officer

There can be no wild flower more iconically associated with British woodland than the majestic Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta). It's a quintessential symbol of spring, carpeting woodland floors with a beautiful rich sea of deep violet-blue and creating one of the finest natural spectacles in the UK. Perhaps unsurprisingly it's also been voted the nation's favourite wild flower, its spreading blooms and sweet scent gifting woodland walks with an enchanting and somewhat magical feel. It's widespread across Britain and is a great indicator that its forest habitat is in fact ancient woodland, one that's existed unchanged for hundreds of years. Though brilliantly adapted for woodland life, it isn't exclusively tied to this habitat for it may be found growing amongst hedgerows and in open grassland, particularly in the more westerly parts of its range. Bluebells are a perennial species with contractile roots that pull the bulbs deeper into the soil in order to gain moisture. It's for this reason that shallow, chalky soils are entirely unsuitable and ultimately they display a strong preference towards shaded habitats. Their blooming in mid spring is timed to perfection, enabling them to take full advantage of the sun't light prior to the closure of the woodland canopy. Whilst native to Atlantic Europe the overwhelming stronghold for the Bluebell is very much Great Britain, where up to half the world's population exists. Our love for the Bluebell is perhaps summed up most eloquently by English novelist and poet, Emily Jane Brontë, in her poem of the flower's name. Here's a small excerpt - 

"A fine and subtle spirit dwells
In every little flower,
Each one its own sweet feeling breathes
With more or less of power. 
There is a silent eloquence
In every wild bluebell
That fills my softened heart with bliss
That words could never tell"

Amongst issues such as habitat loss, one of the biggest threats facing our native Bluebell is the ever-expanding invasion of the Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica). Introduced by the Victorians as an ornamental garden plant, the vigorous Spaniard frequently outcompetes the slow-to-establish Common Bluebell, resulting in the gradual disappearance of our native population. Unfortunately it's not purely a case of out-competing, as the two hybridise to form Hyacinthoides x massartiana. The hybrids may appear similar to native Bluebells but have the dire consequence of continuing to dilute the gene pool. Fortunately the native Bluebell has some distinct characteristics helping to make it identifiable - it has a drooping stem with flowers arranged on one side; the flowers are sweetly scented; the pollen inside the flower is creamy-white in colour and the narrow bell-shaped flowers have strongly 'recurved' petal tips. It isn't impossible to find wild 'albino' Bluebells, though the vast majority are hybrids between the two species. Feature that point to an invasive Bluebell include a strong upright stem, randomly positioned unscented flowers of paler colour, pollen that's blue or green and more open bell-shaped flowers with very gently recurved tips. The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 prohibits the collection of native Bluebell, carrying significant fines, though it may actually face a greater threat - that of trampling. Whilst it can survive the loss of its flowers, the crushing of its leaves results in an inability to feed. It simply isn't able to photosynthesise properly. For a plant as slow-growing as Bluebell this proves devastating. 

Also known as 'Wild Hyacinth', the Bluebell features prominently in mythology and has historically had a multitude of uses. The Bluebell certainly contributed to ancient war as its sticky sap was used to fletch (attach) feathers to arrows, whilst also proving a useful tool for binding the pages of books. The bulbs contain starch and when crushed were used to stiffen Elizabethan ruffs. Medicinally they haven't seen much use owing to the storage of poisonous compounds known as glycosides, deadly to not just humans but a wide variety of mammals when ingested in significant quantity. The sap itself may also cause skin irritation and possibly contact dermatitis. Their toxicity aside, the bulbs have useful diuretic and styptic properties and ongoing research suggests that water-soluble alkaloids contained within the Bluebell may prove extremely useful in the fight against cancer. 

Bluebells © Alan Price, Gatehouse Studio