10 Fun Facts About Bluebell Flowers

​|   AROUND HALF THE WORLD’S POPULATION OF THESE FLOWERS GROW IN THE UK, RELATIVELY RARE IN THE REST OF THE WORLD  |

Here in the UK we have some incredible bluebell displays. Each spring, special woods are transformed by a shimmering carpet of blue. They provide the perfect setting for imaginary adventures, and a unique location for some special photos or a fairy adventure with the kiddies. This is one of my favourite times to take photos because it’s the start of Spring, which means England is starting to get warm YAY and I am a sucker for some sun. Over the years doing bluebell shoots I have come to appreciate and have a real love for the bluebells. It saddens me a lot that due to what’s going on I don’t get to capture this moment. So, I thought I would chat all things bluebell and write a few blogs about their beauty.
 
Some fun facts about bluebells to tell the kiddies:

• Bluebells usually bloom from mid-April to mid-May, this all varies according to the pattern of spring weather. They are a natural indication that Spring has arrived.
• Bluebells are protected by law- under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is a criminal offence to uproot, pick or trample on them deliberately. Bluebells can take years to recover after footfall damage. If a bluebell’s leaves are crushed, they die back from lack of food as the leaves cannot photosynthesise. 
• A flower of many names: common bluebells, English bluebell, British bluebells, wild hyacinth, wood bell, bell bottle, Cuckoo’s Boots, Wood Hyacinth, Lady’s Nightcap and Witches’ Thimbles, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, fairy flowers.​

|   A FAVOURITE WITH THE FAIRIES, A SURE SIGN SPRING IS IN FULL SWING   |

• Bluebells and fairies- According to an old myth fairies used bluebells to lure and trap people passing by in the woods – especially children! It is also said that if you hear a bluebell ring, you will be visited by a bad fairy. If you are to pick a bluebell, many believe you will be led astray by fairies, wandering lost forevermore.
• Bluebell magic- it is believed if you wear a wreath of bluebells you will only speak the truth.  It is also said that if you turn a bluebell flower inside-out without tearing it, you will win the one you love.
• Great things come to those you wait- it takes at least five years for a bluebell seed to grow into a bulb

 |   BLUEBELL’S ARE A SYMBOL OF HUMILITY, CONSTANCY, GRATITUDE AND EVERLASTNG LOVE, IT MAY BE THE ORIGIN OF THE TRADITION THAT A BRIDE SHOULD WEAR 'SOMETHING BLUE' ON THEIR WEDDING DAY   |

• Bluebells have helped win medieval wars - its sap is sticky and made an ideal glue for fastening flight feathers to arrows fired by medieval archers.
• Bluebells may help medicine- they are poisonous and contain about 15 biologically active compounds to defend themselves from animals and insect pests. But scientists are now researching how these toxic chemicals could one day help treat cancer.
• Bluebells have Spanish cousins- Hyacinthoides hispanica—the Spanish Bluebell—was introduced by Victorians as a garden plant. It now grows in the wild and crossbreeds with the British native bluebell—there is a fear that the native bluebell will be wiped out by the Spanish form and by the hybrids produced by crosses between the English and Spanish species​

                          ENGLISH BLUEBELL                                                               SPANISH BLUEBELL

​There are three main ways to tell them apart:
- Spanish bluebells have no scent whereas native bluebells do
- Spanish bluebells are much paler in colour
- Spanish bluebells grow straight, whereas native bluebells have a strong recurved tepals.
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• Bluebells can also have Albino flowers- white flowers that lack the blue pigment and only occur once in around 10,000 flowers !

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I hope you may have learnt something and can share these fun facts with others. Stay tuned for my next blog on where to find them near by!

All my love xx

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 |   THE VIOLET GLOW OF A BLUEBELL WOOD IS A INCREDIBLE WILDFLOWER SPECTACLE   |