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Although common in much of Britain, bluebell are rare in the rest of
Europe and absent from the rest of the world, so we have an
international responsibility to protect ours. That
is why it is a priority species for Biodiversity Action Planning.
Bluebells grow wild at several sites in Sheffield, but some of these are
likely to be hybrids between native British bluebells and Spanish bluebells
which have escaped from gardens; relatively few are likely to be genuinely
native in origin. |
Bluebell leaves are tough, deterring rabbits from eating them,
although sheep and cattle grazing causes considerable harm.
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A Bluebell by any other name
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Confusion can also arise from the various names, both English and
Latin, used for the bluebell and the (unrelated) harebell, which, as it
has similar flowers, is also sometimes called bluebell. The
bluebell's alternative names include wild hyacinth, Crawtraes (meaning
crow's toes), and Granfer Griggles. In 1597, John Gerard made the whole
situation worse when he called it
"Hyacinthus anglicus, Blew English Hare
Bells." Despite scientific names being in a dead language for the purpose
of keeping them constant, bluebells have so far been known by four
different scientific names. The current scientific name
is Hyacinthoides non-scripta
(non-scripta, meaning unwritten, to distinguish it from the hyacinth
of classical legend which grew from the dying prince Hyacinthus, and on
which Apollo wrote "alas," to express
his grief). |
| Bluebell shoots emerge from early January, before tree leaves block
out much of the sunlight. When the flowers open in April and May,
they carpet the woodland floor, making one of the most spectacularly
beautiful sights of Spring. Although usually associated with deciduous
woodlands, bluebells also grow in hedgerows, grassland, parkland and on cliffs,
and frequently appear as garden escapees. Growing through Winter and
flowering in Spring allows the bluebell to
tolerate the extreme shading which excludes most other plants from these
habitats. It can even grow under bracken and Japanese knotweed (an
introduced pest species which chokes out almost everything else). However,
in coniferous plantations, the all-year blocking of light, combined with
the acidic litter layer, chokes out even bluebells, along with nearly all
other ground flora. Deciduous woodlands left in a semi-natural state or
managed in ways which benefit wildlife, such as coppicing, are good habitats
for bluebells. Although bluebells usually require well-drained soil, some
grow in wet woodland adjacent to the rivers. |
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The
biggest threats to bluebells is the destruction of woodlands in
which they grow and gardeners who buy millions of bulbs, unsustainably
taken from their natural habitats.
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The bluebell has been a part of the British Isles throughout all of
its recorded history and several traditional events are dedicated to
it. Bluebell Walks are held annually at sites around Britain including
Woolley Wood in Sheffield, and a Bluebell Service is held annually at
Withland Wood in Leicestershire. Railway trips to see carpets of wild bluebells
used to run at Ipsden in Oxfordshire, the Tenbury Railway in
Worcestershire and in Sussex. Bluebells have also inspired generations of
poets, including Robert Burns, John Clare and Gerard Manley Hopkins. |
| Unfortunately, landowners can legally sell the bulbs from their land
and thieves take wild plants and bulbs to sell, causing the destruction of
large swathes of bluebells and other wild flowers. People can make
a difference by refusing to buy bulbs which are harvested from
wild populations. See the Good Bulb Guide, published by Fauna and
Flora International, for a list of companies which only sell sustainably
cultivated bulbs. |
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