Hyacinthoides non-scripta

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Hyacinthoides non-scripta, the common bluebell, is a bulbous perennial plant native to western Atlantic Europe—from north‑west Spain and Portugal to Britain, Ireland, and the Netherlands. It is also grown in gardens and can be invasive in some places, including North America and New Zealand.

Description
- It has 3–6 basal leaves, each 7–16 mm wide.
- In spring it forms a single, drooping spike with 5–12 violet‑blue flowers (sometimes more).
- Each flower is 14–20 mm long and has strongly recurved tips.
- The flowers are sweetly scented.
- The bulbs have contractile roots that pull the bulb deeper into moist soil, about 10–12 cm deep.
- Seeds are black.

Habitat and range
- Bluebells are a hallmark of deciduous woodlands, especially ancient woods where they form carpets in spring.
- They can also appear in hedgerows and some open western habitats.
- In Britain and Ireland, most plants are Hyacinthoides non-scripta. A related species, Hyacinthoides hispanica, was introduced and can hybridize with H. non-scripta to form Hyacinthoides × massartiana.

How to tell them apart
- Hyacinthoides non-scripta (native bluebell): flowers are deep violet‑blue, very recurved, and strongly scented; stems are often one-sided.
- Hyacinthoides hispanica (Spanish bluebell): flowers are paler, less recurved, and less strongly scented; flowers are arranged more radially.

Where it grows
- Native to western Europe: from Spain and Portugal up through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain, and Ireland.
- Naturally found in parts of Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Britain.
- Introduced and sometimes invasive in parts of Germany, Italy, Romania, and beyond.
- It has been introduced to parts of North America and New Zealand.

Ecology
- Bluebells are mainly pollinated by bumblebees and other insects.
- They can host a fungus that causes bluebell rust.
- Their roots form partnerships with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, helping the plant take up nutrients.

Protection and rights
- In the UK, common bluebells are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is illegal to remove wild bluebells or dig up bulbs or seeds for trade.
- Protection varies in other countries.

Uses and cultural notes
- The bulbs contain substances that were used in traditional remedies and as glue or starch in old crafts.
- Bluebells are popular garden plants and are often planted in woodlands and borders.
- They are a symbol of spring in the UK, and the idea of “bluebell woods” is well known.
- A well-known English children’s song mentions “In and Out the Dusting Bluebells.”

Overall
Hyacinthoides non-scripta is a beloved spring plant that brightens woodlands and gardens with its fragrant, drooping blue flowers. It has a close relative, hybridizes with it in some places, and is protected in parts of its native range.