The Woodland Trust - Bluebells
The sight and scent of native bluebells covering a woodland floor on a warm spring day is one of the most magical experiences nature has to offer, and with over half the global population of bluebells flowering on these shores, Britain’s beautiful blue spring is a quintessential part of our landscape.
The Woodland Trust Scotland has produced a list of 20 of the nation’s best bluebell woods. The bluebell also topped a poll on the VisitWoods website as the country’s favourite spring flower. The wood top of the list for bluebells in Scotland is right on our doorstep and is the Woodland Trust Scotland’s Glen Finglas Estate, near Brig ‘o’ Turk on the eastern edge of the Trossachs.
Any woods with native bluebells are likely to be ancient woodland, which covers just 1% of the Scotland’s landmass, and are some of the country’s most precious wildlife habitats.
Sarah Wiseman from VisitWoods Scotland said: ‘Woods are great places to visit at any time of year, but they are at their best when native bluebells create a colourful carpet beneath the fresh green leaves of the trees. Bluebells herald spring and play as much a part of our natural heritage as any other flower. The native species can be identified by its delicate scent, intense blue colour and flowers that droop down like a bell along one side of the stem.
National Trust woodlands are one of the places where visitors can be guaranteed to enjoy the spectacle of swathes of authentic native bluebells. Stand at the edge of a bluebell wood, breathe in deeply, take in the delicate sweet scent and marvel at one of nature’s truly spectacular events.
TOP 3 BLUEBELL FACTS: 1.
Bluebells depend on warm ground temperatures to help them grow and are normally, but not exclusively, found in old woodland, thick old hedges and on bracken-covered hillsides.
2. Half of the world’s population of bluebells can be found in the UK. UK bluebells are currently at risk of disappearing as a result of hybridizing with the scentless non-native Spanish bluebell which were often planted in gardens.
3. The native British species, which will not flourish in the average garden, can be identified by its strong sweet scent, and intense violet-blue colour (rather than the pale blue of the Spanish plant), and has flowers that droop down like a bell along one side of the stem.
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