ENGLISH GROWN BLUEBELLS

There’s nothing quite like walking into an Irish woodland in spring and being greeted by a vibrant carpet of flowering bluebells. One of Ireland’s most familiar and striking wild flowers, bluebells are found all over the country. A display of the flowers en-masse is breath-taking: a true wild phenomenon.

The Bluebell is a wild member of the hyacinth family, and although common and widespread in Ireland and Britain it is a globally threatened species, making the Irish population particularly significant internationally.

The fragrant, bell shaped flowers that give the plant its name stand upright when in bud, but hang downwards when fully opened to nod gently in the spring breeze. Flower colour ranges from the familiar violet-blue to white, and even pink on rare occasions. The flowers are arranged in clusters on flower spikes (called racemas) that grow to about 40cm (c. 15.5 inches) high and have drooping tips. The narrow, deep green leaves reach a length of about 45cm (c. 17.5 inches).