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AS A NEW SPRING ARRIVES, HOW ABUNDANT ARE THE BLUEBELLS IN YOUR AREA?

Traditionally in the UK, bluebells trumpet the arrival of Spring. In fact it is hard to think of our countryside without thinking of this beautiful flower (sometimes known in Scotland as the wild hyacinth) growing wild in woodlands, hedgerows, bracken and grasslands.

Yet today our native bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) is threatened in many parts of the country, for all these reasons:

• Competition and hybridisation with the Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica), a similar non-native species that is frequently grown in gardens. The Spanish bluebell regularly hybridises with our native bluebell and the resulting cross is extremely common in gardens and in the wild.
  
  
• Habitat loss as a result of conversion of woodlands to agriculture or conifer plantations. Poor land management may also have an adverse effect on habitat.
  
  
• Unsustainable collection. Since 1998 it has been illegal to collect bluebells for commercial purposes.
  
  
• Climate change. Whilst some species may prosper from a warmer climate in these shores, the potential fate of the native bluebell remains uncertain.

We believe passionately that bluebells are a part of our native wildlife which should be protected and nurtured. And thousands of Britons do too, as in 2002, through Plantlife’s County Flowers Project, they voted the bluebell as their favourite wild flower, leading Plantlife to propose this as the UK’s national flower. That is why, this Spring, we are launching a National Bluebell Survey to map our native bluebells and get a clearer picture of how healthy our bluebell population is. We also want to determine how widespread the hybrid and Spanish bluebells are.

It’s simple and enjoyable to do. You will discover a lot about your local countryside as you do it – and not just about the bluebells. But most important of all, you will be helping to protect the richness and variety of wildlife in the UK.

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