bluebell

Hyacinthoides non-scriptus

• Bell-shaped, deep blue flowers
   
• A tall stem

Often grow so closely together they form a unique carpet - one of nature’s most stunning displays. Britain has the finest bluebell carpets in the world.
 

Where found

All over the country, in woodland, grassland, heath, scrub and hedgerows.

Find a bluebell wood near you..
 

When to look for

• Bluebells usually flower in April and May

View our live map for this season's bluebell sightings!

Did you know?

• Archaeological evidence has shown that Bronze Age people used bluebell glue to attach feathers to, or 'fletch', their arrows
  
  
• Bluebell sap was used to bind pages into the spines of books
  
  
• According to folklore, one who hears a bluebell ring will soon die. A field of bluebells is especially dangerous, as it is intricately interwoven with fairy enchantments
  
  
• Bluebell bulbs were crushed to provide starch for the ruffs of Elizabethan collars and sleeves
  
  
• Bluebells are important early flowers for bees, hoverflies and butterflies which feed on the nectar
  
  
• Honeybees can 'steal' the nectar from bluebell flowers by biting a hole in the bottom of the bell, reaching the nectar without pollinating the flower