A threat to bluebells ?
by Chris, 3 April, 2017, 0 comments
Spring brings a variety of blue flowered plants such as bluebells, hyacinths and squills in our woodlands, parks and gardens. Bluebells are ‘easily’ recognisable. However, there are different types of bluebells. The bluebell that is native to the UK has the Latin or Linnaean name of Hyacinthoides non scripta. The Spanish bluebell (H. hispanica) is also to be found, and this hybridises with the native form, giving rise to intermediate types.
The native bluebell has deep blue and scented flowers that hang from an elegantly arching stem. It is found in abundance in many deciduous woodlands and hedgerows across the UK, though it is unusual or rarer in parts of East Anglia and Scotland. The capacity of the Spanish Bluebell to hybridise with the native form has been seen as a threat to the native Bluebell - but now another concern has been ‘identified’. Read more...
