Species Focus - Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)

If you go down to the woods today, you might not be in for a big surprise! It’s Bluebell season and this is surely one of the most spectacular spring events. Bluebells aren’t exclusively found in woodlands and impressive displays can be found on coastal grasslands on Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula.

Our native Bluebell is Hyacinthoides non-scripta. It has dainty, tubular flowers hanging from one side of the flower stem and narrow leaves. It is still the most numerous bluebell species in north Wales and also comes in pink or white flowered forms (see below), but these are much rarer than the blue versions.

Also look out for the hybrid bluebell, Hyacinthoides × massartiana, particularly in more urban settings. It is the most common cultivated bluebell. BSBI's Atlas 2020 states that the vast majority of non-native bluebells found in the wild are of hybrid plants spreading from gardens or arising from bulbs discarded in garden waste, often in the absence of both parents. These tend to be much larger with paler blue, bell-shaped flowers arranged evenly around the flower stem. The leaves are much broader too. These also come in pink and white flowered versions. This hybrid bluebell is rarely found in deep shade.

The 'Spanish bluebell', H. hispanica is much less common and rarely escapes from cultivation. Much of the seed set from the plants is hybrid, due to the presence of pollen from the more numerous native H. non-scripta.

Further details on how to recognise the different Bluebells and their hybrid can be found here along with their UK distribution:

BSBI Bluebell crib

Plant Atlas 2020

If you see Bluebells in North Wales please submit your records, preferably with photographs, to the Cofnod ORS or the LERC Wales App.