bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
- 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.
When to look for
- Bluebells usually flower in April and May
Native or Spanish?
The Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) was introduced into the UK in the 1600s as a garden flower and has escaped into the countryside, hybridising freely with our native bluebell. To help you tell the difference, why not download our fact sheet below?
bluebell guide
Bluebells in literature
Here are two bluebell-themed poems written by the Bronte sisters in the 1800s
The Blue Bell by Emily Jane Bronte, 1850
The Bluebell by Anne Bronte, 1840
Fabulous bluebell facts
- 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
- Bees can 'steal' the nectar from bluebell flowers by biting a hole in the bottom of the bell, reaching the nectar without pollinating the flower
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