Writing on the wall for native bluebell
June 2008
by Emilie Wadsworth
The UK is home to about half the world’s population of the Bluebell, with Scotland being its most northerly habitat. Over recent years however, the British Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), sometimes known as the Wild Hyacinth in Scotland, has declined severely and is now an endangered species.
The two main causes of this decline are the loss of habitat and hybridisation with the non-native Spanish Bluebell. The Spanish Bluebell is very different to the British Bluebell, and has been planted in the wild or escaped from gardens over the last 100 years to inter-breed with the native variety, producing a hybrid. Both of these new varieties spread across the country much more quickly than the native variety can, and are taking over once purely native Bluebell woods. r
In addition to this, British Bluebells are very specific about the habitat they will grow in. They like broadleaf woodlands that are at least 20 years old, with a closed canopy giving them dappled sunlight. They will also sometimes grow under very old neglected hedgerows. Spanish Bluebells, on the other hand, will grow pretty much anywhere, which is why they became so popular with gardeners.
The quantity and quality of suitable habitat has declined dramatically during the 20th century, but, thanks to work by environmental bodies such as Central Scotland Forest Trust, the Woodland Trust and Scottish Wildlife Trust over the last 30 years, there are now woodlands just right for Bluebells.
So how can you tell the difference between the native Scottish Bluebell and the Spanish and hybrid species? The Bluebell native to Scotland is of medium height, up to 50cm, and flowers April–June. The flowers are always azure blue, 14-20mm long with six bell-shaped lobes that curl back fully. They are always on one side of the stem, which droops severely under the weight of the fragrant flowers in bloom. Native Bluebells are found in mature broadleaf woodlands or along hedgerows where they get dappled sunlight.
The native Bluebell
Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica) are similar in height to the British Bluebell, though much more erect, rarely drooping, with flowers which are less fragrant and range in colour from dark blue through to pink or white. The flowers can be on any side of the stem and their lobes flick out as opposed to curling back, and they have much broader leaves than the native variety. Spanish Bluebells can tolerate sunnier conditions and are often found outside woodlands, in gardens and along coastlines.
The Hybrid Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica x non-scripta) is more difficult to identify, especially in the early part of the season. They are more erect than the British Bluebell, and their flowers can range in colour. Indigenous to Britain, they can still cross-breed with the native Bluebell to dilute the genetic strain.
So what is being done about this decline? The British Bluebell is a globally protected species; in Scotland it is protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1986, and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. It is now illegal to dig them up from the wild, and suppliers must have a licence from the Scottish Government to collect Bluebell seeds to sell, or grow into bulbs to sell on.
In 2003, the charity Plantlife ran a survey of Bluebells in Britain. They asked the public to record all the Bluebells they saw, no matter what type, so they could build up a picture of the distribution of Bluebells across the country and start to monitor the spread of the Spanish and Hybrid varieties. Unfortunately, there was a very poor response from Scotland, with only three records being sent in.
The ‘Alarm Bells for Bluebells’ Campaign has just been launched to raise awareness. Leaflets should be available from National Trust and RSPB visitor centres, Visit Scotland and Tourist Information centres. Downloadable copies are available on our website: www.csft.org.uk/bluebells. If there are any community groups out there interested, give me a ring and I will post you some.
We aim to plant 35,000 native Bluebell bulbs across Central Scotland. Bulbs will be given aways at events such as the Royal Highland Show. Finally, we are running a survey similar to the one Plantlife ran in 2003, asking people to send in records using the freepost form attached to the leaflet, or via e-mail, to have a chance of winning a £50 garden centre voucher. You can also send in photographs of Bluebells you see if you are unsure about identification.
Emilie Wadsworth: “I have worked as Heritage Officer for the Central Scotland Forest Trust for three years now, having originally studied Geography, followed by a PhD researching glacial climate changes. I have volunteered for agencies such as SWT and BTCV and enjoy getting outdoors to do as many surveys as I can.”
For more information e-mail bluebells@csft.org.uk. Alternatively, contact CSFT’s Heritage Officer on 01501 824791
This is an article from the June 2008 edition of Leopard Magazine. To read much more like this every month, see our subscription details.