Bluebell Woods in England

English bluebell woods have been quite rightly noted for centuries. In his poem 'Summer', John Clare (1793 1864) started with “Come we to the summer, to the summer we will come, for the woods are full of bluebells….” You would think, that living in England, it would be impossible to miss the sight of bluebells carpeting the floor of a wood, but I’m surprised by the number of people who haven’t yet found their own bluebell wood and by those who think they’ve found it, but been disappointed by the sight.

The problem with bluebells is that they are only at their absolute peak for a week and the timing of that week varies. The further north the woodland is, the later the bluebells bloom. However bluebells within woods only a couple of miles from each other can peak at different times because of the microclimate and soil. For example, bluebells in a sunny wood on a south facing slope will bloom earlier than those amongst a mostly shaded wood in a gorge.

If you arrive too early in the season there will be fewer bluebells out with less intense colour. There will also seem to be more leaf then flower – pretty, but not an astounding sight. Arrive too late and the colour will be deeper, almost purple, but a closer look will reveal that the flowers are beginning to shrivel.

Going to a bluebell wood in bright sunlight in the middle of spring might seem ideal, but under these conditions even the best bluebell show can look a bit bleached out. I recommend visiting a bluebell wood first thing in the morning or late afternoon on a bright day.

English bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) are sometimes confused with harebells (Campanula rotundiflora), which are a flower of heathland with the most delicate of stems and several single bell shaped flowers coming of each stem, or with Spanish bluebells (Hyacintoides hispanica which have a slightly coarser head of many flowers and broader leaves and in some places have spread from gardens in to woodland. Spanish bluebells are not native to the UK but will crossbreed with English bluebells. A study by Plantlife indicates that the Spanish bluebell or Spanish/English hybrid is now present in 16% of British broad leaved woodlands.

English bluebells are mostly found in mature broad leaved woodland, but you will find them in hedgerows and sometimes in grassy banks. They like a period of freezing weather over winter to spur them into flowering in spring. According to The Natural History Museum (London) the UK has 50% of the world's population of Hyacinthoides non-scripta. They are carrying out an ongoing study into the spread of the Spanish bluebell in the UK and to determine whether bluebells are flowering earlier in the year as a result of climate change.

The Woodland Trust is a good place to start. Put your postcode into their database and tick the bluebells option box. Up come the best bluebell woods nearest to you. Don’t despair if there isn’t one nearby. Unticking the bluebell box brings up more woods and you will find that many of these still have a very respectable display of bluebells.

If you haven’t visited your chosen wood before, go now even if it isn’t bluebell season, to get to know the wood. Being familiar with a place means you are more likely to see it at its best and there are usually lots of other flower species to enjoy in a bluebell wood at different times of year. If it isn't bluebell season, get chatting to other visitors in the wood. They will often be able to tell you if it is a good bluebell wood or not.

From the beginning of April, try to visit the wood once a week. You can enjoy a glimpse of the first bluebells to emerge and then watch as the colour builds each week until the bluebells are at their best, then start to shrivel and go over.

Once you know the wood well, having visited over several years, you will be able to predict more accurately when the bluebells will be at their peak in your favourite wood. Then you can share the pleasure by taking your friends to see the bluebells.