Is it a contradiction to have white bluebells, a gardeners oxymoron?
It is very unusual to have British bluebells flowering in white but their Spanish cousins Hyacinthoides hispanica are prolific white flowers.

How Should Bluebells Be Planted

• The bulbs can be planted in the green, that is whilst they still have leaves. Dried bulbs are available from September.
• Observe how deep the bulbs were previously planted. The green leaves were above ground and the white below. So planting 5-6″ deep seems necessary. Some bulbs have roots that can pull the bulb deeper in to the ground and bluebells like to seek out moisture so are planted deeper.
• Bluebells can be grown from seed, indeed they become rampant in fertile soil if allowed to self sow. The seed stays viable in the soil for several years so I would not let my bluebells self sow.
• Hyacinthoides hispanica is of Spanish origin and should not be planted in the wild where it can dominate our native species Hyacinthoides non scripta.

Observe Bluebells Close Up

• If you study a bluebell it is easy to see how the bell name came into being.
• You can also see the close resemblance to Hyacinth flowers to which they are closely related.
• The leaves are smooth, shiny and slightly succulent usually linear or oblong in shape with a blunt tip.
• Bulbs divide in the ground and even small bulbils can be replanted or left to increase the clump
• Spanish Blue-bells are paler with larger blue flowers a more erect flower stem and broader leaves than our native species.

White Bluebells running to seed.

Naming The Bluebell

• Unfortunately names are seldom simple. The botanic name is now Scilla campanulata and you can buy bulbs under this name.
• Previously they were classified as Endymion who was a mythical Greek. Endymion campanulatus, Endymion hispanicus, Endymion patulus, and Scilla hispanica have also been used.
• Another common name ‘Wood Hyacinth’, seems to describe the plant and its preferred location.
• There are now many hybrid ‘Bluebells’ with names that indicate the colour eg Mount Everest (white) and Azalea (pink).