Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)

Bluebells transform our woodland in springtime. The carpet of intense blue under the opening tree canopy is one of our greatest woodland spectacles. It's not surprising that bluebell is one of the nation's best-loved wild flowers.

What does bluebell look like?

Bluebells are perennial bulbous herbs with flowering stems to about 50cm tall. They spend most of the year as bulbs underground and emerge to flower from April onwards.

Leaves: around 7mm to 25mm wide and 45cm long. Strap-shaped with a pointed tip. They are smooth and hairless with a succulent appearance.

Flowers: up to 20 sweetly-scented flowers are borne on a flower stalk which droops or nods to one side. Flowers are bell-shaped and can be blue, white or rarely pink. Each flower has 6 petals with recurved (up-turned) tips. Anthers have white-cream coloured pollen.

Distribution: British or English bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, has a range that extends from the UK into northern Europe (France, Netherlands, Belgium) and south along the Atlantic coast into northwestern Spain.

Where and when to find bluebell

When: bluebells flower between mid-April and late May.

This early flowering makes the most of the sunlight that reaches the woodland floor before the full woodland canopy casts its shade. Millions of bulbs may grow closely together in one wood, creating one of nature’s most stunning displays.

Where: a significant proportion of the world's bluebells grow here in the UK. You'll find them in broadleaved woodland, along hedgerows and in fields.

Find your nearest bluebell wood with our explore woods map and filter to only include bluebells.


https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants-and-fungi/woodland-wildflowers/bluebell/?utm_source=/bluebells&utm_medium=furl