Findings so far
Hybrid bluebells, Hyacinthoides x massartiana, are becoming an increasingly common sight in the UK
Your past participation in the bluebell survey has been very helpful. Since it was launched 5 years ago, the survey has shown the extent to which non-native bluebells have spread into the British countryside.
In most urban areas, the bluebells are now predominantly hybrids. However, large areas of the countryside still support populations of native bluebells in woods, on the coast and elsewhere.
Effects of gardening
What we grow and how we dispose of plants from our gardens can have a major effect on the wildlife of the UK.
Many people are now deliberately choosing to plant the native bluebell. We need to make sure that this doesn’t encourage illegal harvesting of native bluebells from the wild, so gardeners should make sure their bluebells come from a reliable source.
Many plants that are sold commercially as English bluebells are not pure examples of the species; they are hybrids. If these plants are disposed of near populations of native bluebells then they could also become hybridised.
We cannot completely stop genes flowing from non-native bluebells into our native plants, changing them forever, but if we dispose of garden waste responsibly then we can make this process a slower one.
Identifying bluebells
Identifying bluebells is not always easy, even for expert botanists. Feedback from the survey has helped us to refine the guidance we give about how to identify bluebells correctly.
Flowering times
Last year we began focusing on the flowering times of bluebells to help us understand the effects of climate change on these plants.
It is too soon to draw any conclusions about this. To build up an accurate picture of whether flowering times are getting earlier, we need to record bluebell flowering times over a number of years. We hope you will help us to do so.
Toolbox
Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity
Discover the Centre for UK Biodiversity. It offers a drop-in identification service, research facilities, and online nature resources. Watch a video and meet the team.