English bluebell

English bluebell: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A bulb 20–35 cm tall with a clump of narrow leaves; the flower stem arches gracefully at the tip.

Leaves

Strap-shaped and glossy dark green, up to about 40 cm long; from February to June.

Flowers

Narrow, tubular bells 1.5–2 cm long with curled-back tips, along one side of the stem; sweetly scented.

Colour

Violet-blue with creamy white anthers; rarely white or pink.

Bulb

White, without a protective tunic; it dries out quickly and must be planted promptly.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–November

Why grow it?

• A blue spring carpet under deciduous trees in April and May.
• The flowers are sweetly scented, especially on mild, sunny days.
• A native plant that feeds bees, bumblebees and other early insects.
• Grows in the shade under trees, where few other flowering plants do well.
• Disappears underground in summer, making way for ferns and other shade plants.

English bluebell: where does it grow best?

• Partial shade or shade under deciduous trees and shrubs, with light in spring.
• Humus-rich sandy or loamy soil, acid to neutral, like a woodland floor.
• Normally moist in spring; in summer the soil may be drier.
• Not near Spanish bluebells, with which it hybridises.
• Plant 8–10 cm apart, in loose, natural groups.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.35 m tall, 0.1 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Wood anemone: A white native carpet that flowers just a little earlier.
• Primrose: Pale yellow flowers next to the blue.
• Sweet woodruff: A fragrant, white-flowered ground cover for the same shade.
• Ferns: They unfurl their fronds as the bluebell fades and fill the empty space.
• Solomon’s seal: Graceful, arching stems in the same woodland garden.

English bluebell: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

1. Plant the bulbs from September to November, as soon as possible after buying.
2. Only buy cultivated bulbs; never take bulbs from the wild.
3. Make planting holes about 10 cm deep and mix in some leaf mould.
4. Set the bulbs pointed end up, 8–10 cm apart.
5. Firm the soil and water if it is dry.
6. Spread a layer of leaf mould or fine wood chips over the spot.

Care

Watering

Water after planting. After that only in a very dry spring.

Feeding

Not needed. Leave the fallen leaves of the trees where they lie: they are the best food.

Leaves

Let the leaves die back by themselves after flowering, and do not mow or trample them.

Spent flowers

Leave them if it may self-seed. Cut them off if it seeds too freely.

Spanish bluebell

Remove Spanish bluebells and hybrids nearby: upright stems, bells all round and blue anthers.

Tip: Plant it under deciduous trees and leave the fallen leaves in autumn: you imitate a woodland floor and it will spread by itself.

English bluebell: when to prune it?

When: The English bluebell is not pruned. At most, cut off the faded stems in June.

How:

• Cut off faded stems if you do not want it to self-seed any further.
• Leave the leaves until they turn yellow by themselves in June.
• Only clear away the dead leaves once they come away easily.

Caution: Do not cut or mow the leaves while they are green: the bulb needs them to flower next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow fresh seed in July in a pot or directly on the spot under the trees. It takes a few years before the seedlings flower.

Division

In June–July, when the leaves have died back, lift a dense clump. Separate the bulbs and replant them straight away, as they dry out quickly.

English bluebell: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −20 °C: no protection needed.
• The leaves appear as early as February and tolerate ordinary frost.
• In a pot it can stay outdoors in a sheltered spot; make sure the compost neither dries out completely nor becomes waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• Hybridising with Spanish bluebell: Hybrids have upright stems, bells all round the stem and blue anthers. Dig them out completely and put them in the household waste, not on the compost heap.
• Bulbs fail to come up: The bulbs had dried out or the spot is too wet. Plant fresh bulbs as soon as you buy them.
• Trampled leaves: Flattened leaves no longer build up reserves and the bulbs weaken. Lay a path and do not walk through the clumps.
• Rust: Orange-brown pustules on the leaves. Remove affected leaves and do not put them on the compost heap.

Through the year

• February: The leaves come up.
• March: The flower buds appear. Do not walk over the spot.
• April: In flower. Scent and bees.
• May: In flower. Remove Spanish bluebells and hybrids.
• June: The leaves die back. Cut off faded stems if you wish.
• July: Collect seed and sow straight away.
• September: Plant bulbs.
• October: Plant bulbs. Spread leaf mould.
• November: Plant the last bulbs. Leave the tree leaves where they fall.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of bluebells, both English and Spanish, are poisonous, especially the bulbs: they cause vomiting and diarrhoea, in dogs, cats and horses too. In spring they often grow among wild garlic and their leaves are mistaken for it: wild garlic has broad, soft leaves, each on its own short stalk, that smell strongly of garlic; bluebell leaves are narrow, glossy, stalkless and have no garlic smell. Crush each leaf separately, as your fingers soon smell of garlic. The small white bulbs look like little onions: never store them with the vegetables. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The Hallerbos near Halle is known far beyond Belgium for its blue carpet of bluebells, usually at the end of April.
• The sticky sap from the bulbs was once used as glue, for example in bookbinding.
• You can recognise the wild species by its arching stem with bells on one side and creamy white anthers; the Spanish bluebell stands upright and has blue anthers.