What’s new?
4 May 2006
British bluebells
Why they are under threat and where to see them in your area
Bluebell woodlands in the UK hold one fifth of the world's bluebells and are among our most striking wildflower scenes. However, the Wildlife Trust is concerned for the future of this beautiful display and urge local people to help save one of their favourite species.
British bluebells may face an uncertain future due to the long term effects of climate change but the immediate threat is from habitat loss and the demand for bluebells for gardens, which has led to digging up of wild bluebell bulbs. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, it is illegal to dig up the bulbs of wild bluebells, and dealers face heavy fines for selling them.
Nick Hammond, director of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough, said “We can all help to save our native bluebells. If you are buying them for your garden please check that the bulbs have been cultivated for sale and if in any doubt ask the garden centre manager. Do go and visit local bluebell woods for an inspirational sight this spring but remember to take care - stick to the footpaths to avoid trampling the plants.”
To compound the bluebell’s problematic popularity, it is also under threat from the cultivated version of the Spanish bluebell, with which it has bred to form a hybrid species. The hybrid bluebell is becoming increasingly common*, leading to fears that the true British bluebell could be wiped out.
Nick Hammond says that the horticultural trade has a duty to ensure that bluebell bulbs are accurately labelled, and gardeners should not plant Spanish or hybrid bluebells in the countryside or near native populations.
To discover a vast sea of dazzling blue hues, visit a Wildlife Trust woodland reserve near you. Details of these can be found at the Visit a reserve section.
* Results from the Bluebells for Britain survey carried out in Spring 2003 showed that one in six British woodlands already had a mixture of native, Spanish and/or hybrid species present.