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The
Bluebell is a West-European bulb, which may bloom (according to local climate
and conditions) from the beginning of April to the end of May.
Not to be confused with the Scottish 'Harebell', which has
'Bluebell' as a common name too. Found throughout the British
Isles in woods and hedgerows, but rarer in Northern Scotland and
South and Central Ireland. A classic species of old woodland.
Also known as the 'Wild Hyacinth'. Linnaeus called it "Hyacinthus
nonscriptus".
In
Greek myth the hyacinth was raised from the blood of Hyacinthus,
a youth beloved by the God of the West Wind, Zephyrus, and the
sun God, Apollo. |
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When the youngster was playing quoits with
Apollo one day, Zephyrus blew a quoit out of its proper course
in jealousy, which killed the young man. In grief, Apollo traced
the letters "Ai, Ai" on the purple Hyacinth flowers
and so it was a flower of grief and mourning to the Ancients.
Bluebell is called 'nonscriptus', because it has no trace of the
mystic letters.
Britain
is one of the Worlds strongholds for the Bluebell and we are are
lucky to have many Bluebell woods left. The April/May spectacle
of seeing a wood not only greening, but also 'blueing' is one of
the joys of the year. On the hedgerow banks, the Bluebells often
mix with red/pink Campions and white Cow Parsley in a display of
National colours against a green background. It is not
surprising that the Bluebell is a popular flowers and in a
recent survey search amongst 25.000 people by the charity "Plantlife"
(see below) for the most representative flower of various
counties and districts, it was chosen so often, that it should
probably rank side by side with the Rose as our national flower.
In
spite of its apparent abundance in parts of the country,
conservationists
are worried that our distinct British Bluebell is threatened,
because it is hybridising freely with the Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides
hispanica),
which was introduced in this country as a garden flower.
The
UK Charity and Action group "Plantlife" intends to
formulate a plan to save the native Bluebell after determining
how widespread the Spanish cousin is. In the Spring of April - June
2003 they asked walkers to look for flowers in woodland and
record where they are.
You can spot the difference too once you've had a good look at the table below:
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Hybrid
Bluebell |
Spanish
Bluebell |
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Leaf-width
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Fairly narrow,
usually about 7-15mm but can be up to 20mm wide (about
half an inch).
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Usually broad,
10-30mm, and often quite variable on one plant.
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Broad, usually
about 20mm-35mm (about an inch).
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Top of
Flower stem
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Droops or nods
distinctly to one side.
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Curves or nods
slightly to one side.
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Is stiff and
upright.
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Arrangement
of Flowers
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Almost all are
on one side of stem, hanging down to one side.
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Mostly all
around the stem, but may droop to one side (especially
at the top).
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Usually all
the way around the stem, flowers sticking out.
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Colour of
Flowers
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Deep
violet-blue.
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Dark to pale
blue (sometimes also white or pink).
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Pale to mid
blue (often also white or pink).
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Flower
shape
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A narrow,
straight-sided bell, with parallel sides.
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Usually an
open bell.
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A wide open,
almost cone-shaped bell.
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Petal tips
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Roll back on
to the tube part.
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Curl outwards
or slightly upwards.
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Flare outwards
slightly.
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Pollen
colour on the anthers
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Pale cream.
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Usually pale
blue.
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Deep blue.
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Flower
scent
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They have a
quite strong sweet scent.
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Only a slight
scent.
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Little or no
scent at all.
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Habitat
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In old
woodland and old hedgerows, and on moorland, under
bracken or on sea cliffs.
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In woods and
hedgerows and on roadside verges, usually not far from
houses; also in gardens and parks and on waste-ground.
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medicinal and
other uses
"The bulbs are poisonous in the fresh state. The viscid
juice so abundantly contained in them and existing in
every part of the plant has been used as a substitute for
starch, in the days when stiff ruffs were worn was much in
request. From its gummy character, it was also employed as
bookbinders' gum. Gerard informs us that it was also used for
setting feathers upon arrows." (Grieve)
"The bulbs contain inulin, but are characterized by the
absence of starch (which in many other monocotyledons is found
in company with inulin). Even if fed on cane-sugar, Bluebell
bulbs will not form starch. They also contain a very large
quantity of mucilage." (Grieve)
"....the bulb has diuretic and styptic properties. Dried
and powdered it has been used as a styptic for leucorrhoea:
'There is hardly a more powerful remedy,' wrote Sir John Hill
(1716-75), warning at the same time that the dose should not
exceed 3 grains. He also informs us that a decoction of the bulb
operates by urine. Tennyson speaks of Bluebell juice being used
to cure snake-bite. The flowers have a slight, starch-like
scent, but no medicinal uses have been ascribed to them."
(Grieve)
In our days the University of Aberystwyth is executing research
into the possible medicinal use of Bluebell as a cancer
medicine.
cultivation
Bluebell
bulbs have become very fashionable the last few years and are
relatively expansive. Please remember that it is illegal to take
bulbs from wild places. They can be grown from seed, but need
about a month of reasonably low temperatures in the winter to
germinate. Without this the seed-coat will not crack open easily
to germinate reliably. Either leave your seed outside in a tray
or garden seedbed in the winter or 'scarify' the seed by storing
it in your fridge for several weeks before sowing. It will take
up to 5 years for the seed/plant to start flowering.
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