It’s been a lovely bluebell season, but I’m hearing some of the blossoms might be unwanted intruders. How can that be true?
There is more than one kind of bluebell and concerns are growing that the variety native to Ireland – the common bluebell or Hyacinthoides non-scripta – is facing competition from its invading Spanish cousin (Hyacinthoides hispanica).
I don’t think they come labelled in the countryside, so how can you tell the difference?
It can be tricky unless you see them side by side because both plants are roughly the same height and the blossoms are the same shape, but the Irish bluebell is a richer shade of violet blue for a start.
Also the flowers are arranged in single file on one side of the stem and the stem bends over at the top like a shepherd’s crook, so they hang down like the little bells that give them their name.
The Spanish bluebell is a paler blue and the stem is more upright with flowers growing on all sides of it. They still hang downwards but with less of a droop and sway than the Irish variety.
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If you have a nose for identify theft, get up close – the native plant has a stronger, sweeter fragrance than the Spanish.
Surely the more bluebells the better, so why does it matter if the Spanish ones come to stay?
The concern is that they will squeeze out the native bluebells. We don’t exactly have endless stretches of the broadleaved woodland or meadow edges where they love to grow, so there is competition for space and the Spanish grow vigorously.
They also crossbreed so there is a fear that Hyacinthoides non-scripta will be bred out of existence and become Hyacinthoides invisibilia.
How did the Spanish ones get here?
They arrived via packets of bulbs in garden centres, where they have been on sale until fairly recently. Once established here, it’s hard to evict them. They’re still on sale in the UK and it’s possible seeds can travel here on the wind.
What can we do about them?
They’ve been declared an invasive species here, so even if the opportunity arises, don’t buy or sell them. If you dig out a patch in your garden, dispose of them thoroughly and replace them with carefully sourced native bulbs.
And don’t pick or damage Irish bluebells in the wild. They are protected under the Wildlife Act. Folklore has it that they rang their bells to raise the alarm that an intruder was among them and the fairy folk would come and deal with the miscreant.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to have worked with the Spanish invaders.
