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English Bluebell in the GardenTags plant encyclopedia

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

 

English Bluebell

The English Bluebell grows wild throughout the British Isles, forming carpets of blue spreading through light woodland in late spring. The English Bluebell has a deeper blue than the Spanish variety with stronger scent and more flowers. It is a vigorous variety dividing every year to produce more bulbs which can be lifted, divided and re-planted.

 
plant Features
  • English Bluebell likes partial shade to deep shade

    Partial shade to deep shade

  • English Bluebell likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

  • English Bluebell is full frost hardy: 5f (-15°c)

    Full Frost Hardy: 5F (-15°C)

  • English Bluebell likes rich and free draining

    Rich and free draining

 
plant information

Common name

English Bluebell

Latin name

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

type

Bulb

family

Asparagaceae

ph

5.0 - 6.0 Acid - Neutral

  • Light

    English Bluebell likes partial shade to deep shade

    Partial shade to deep shade

  • Frost

    English Bluebell is full frost hardy: 5f (-15°c)

    Full Frost Hardy: 5F (-15°C)

  • Soil

    English Bluebell likes rich and free draining

    Rich and free draining

  • Water

    English Bluebell likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

Plant & bloom calendar

  •  
    Best time to plant
  •  
    When the plant will bloom

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown English Bluebell is 0.45meters x 0.20meters 0.45 M 0.20 M

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

The English Bluebell grows wild throughout the British Isles, forming carpets of blue spreading through light woodland in late spring. The English Bluebell has a deeper blue than the Spanish variety with stronger scent and more flowers. It is a vigorous variety dividing every year to produce more bulbs which can be lifted, divided and re-planted.


Spring flowering

From Mid Spring TO Late Spring

English Bluebells produce dark blue bell-like hanging flowers with a strong scent throughout mid to late spring.

 

Plant out bulbs "in the green"

From Early Spring TO Early Spring

If you want to see Bluebells flowering in your garden the same year then it is best to plant them "in the green" (with green shoots starting to show) in early Spring. In the right conditions the bulbs will go on to flower in late Spring. Plant the bulbs just below the surface of the soil with the shoots above the ground in a shady spot with rich but free draining soil.

 

Plant out bulbs

From Early Autumn TO Mid Autumn

Dormant bulbs are best planted out into the garden in Autumn, before the frosts arrive. Plant the bulbs just below the surface of the soil, in ground which is rich but well drained. The best position is somewhere with shade.

 

Division in autumn

From Early Autumn TO Late Autumn

Bluebells bulbs will propagate by dividing and forming new bulbs every year. The flowers will quickly fill the ground they are in but they can also be spread to new areas by lifting the bulbs from the ground, dividing the clumps and re-planting extra bulbs in new areas. Do this once the bulbs have become dormant (there is no green showing) and before the winter frosts arrive.

 
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