Wild Flowers

This Bluebell was photographed 10 days ago when it looked more like a stem of asparagus! It’s now fully open in the bright sunshine in a sheltered part of the garden. It is likely to be a hybrid between our native Bluebell and the Spanish Bluebell which leads onto…

Insight into the difference between our native Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and the Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica): As the Bluebell season approaches we’re asked how you tell the difference between our native Bluebell and the Spanish Bluebell introduced from Spain and Portugal.

First of all, the flowers of the native Bluebell (shown below on the left) droop. All the flowers are on one side of the stem causing a drooping inflorescence. The Spanish Bluebell (shown below on the right) has flowers around the stem which remains upright.

Second, the flowers of the native Bluebell are parallel sided so cylindrical in shape. Whereas the Spanish Bluebell’s flowers are more open, spreading.

Next, the tips of the native Bluebell flowers are revolute (rolled back from the tip) and they aren’t on the Spanish Bluebell, well not so much.

Next, the native Bluebell has stamens of unequal length and cream or yellow anthers and the Spanish Bluebell has stamens equal in length and blue anthers.

Finally, the leaves of the native Bluebell are no more than 20mm wide, often less, whilst the leaves are broader, up 35mm, wide on the Spanish Bluebell.