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News - Save our native Bluebell

Threat to our flower could leave Britain blue

A carpet of Bluebells on the woodland floor makes a dazzling sight in springtime. However, our most popular native wildflower is under threat - says The Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.

The bluebell is a protected species and it is illegal to take bulbs from the wild. Unfortunately, people are ignoring this law. This is a matter of great concern as once removed it can take up to 100 years for bluebell woodlands to regenerate.

Climate change is also a problem. Bluebells flower earlier than most wildflowers but warmer winters could alter this pattern and mean bluebells no longer have the advantage over other species. The decline in bluebells could have a knock-on effect on our wildlife - bluebells are an important early food flower for bees, hoverflies and butterflies which feed on nectar.

The Spanish bluebell, widely cultivated in gardens and parks, is another threat to the British bluebell due to the two species breeding.

You can help save our native bluebell by ensuring that you only buy bluebells for your garden which have been cultivated for sale. Another way to help is to take part in the online survey Bluebells: Exploring British Wildlife which will be used by scientists at The Natural History Museum to create a map of where bluebells grow in the UK and when they flower. To take part in the survey log on to www.nhm.ac.uk/bluebells.

Make sure you take the time to appreciate the beautiful bluebell spectacle this spring.

Visit our reserves: Coed Pendugwm – an ancient wild wood whose habitat has remained almost unchanged for over 400 years. The special lighting effects created by proud sessile oaks and beech give centre stage to a carpet of bluebells during April and May.

Also visit Cwm Y Wydden. For over 400 years a continuous tree canopy has been quietly creating a ‘micro jungle’ in the heart of the Welsh countryside. Areas of reduced light and increased humidity have encouraged a wealth of ferns, lichens, moss and liverworts to grow undisturbed for centuries. Sessile oaks, birch and hazel provide the most tree cover. In glades where light can filter through, typical native plants such as bluebells, violets, primroses and wood anemones provide spectacular ground cover in spring.