Hyacinthoides non-scripta 

'English Bluebell'

[Ex. Co. Durham, 50m., England]

Liliaceae: scented bulbous perennial that can reach 50cm in height, bluish purple bell-shaped flowers, with 6 recurved lobes at the mouth, 1-sided drooping-tipped spikes, blooming from April-June, long 15mm glossy green leaves. Found growing in woodland, hedgerows and coastal cliffs, it can form extensive and continuous carpets on the woodland floor, widespread throughout the country.

USES:

The bulb has diuretic and styptic properties; it has been used as a remedy for leucorrhoea. A glue is obtained from the sap in the bulb and stem, simply cut open a bulb and apply the sap to whatever needs to be joined, it makes an excellent paper glue, and it does not work on non-absorbent materials such as plastics and glass.

Easily grown in a soil rich in leafmold, preferring semi-shade, but tolerating full sun. Bluebells can live in the dry shade of trees quite happily, bulbs like to be quite deep in the soil.

GROWING INFORMATION:

The seed, which is naturally shed from July to August, requires moist warm conditions followed by a period of chilling before germination can take place. For this reason the ideal time to sow seed is probably in late summer, but with time, it will establish from seed sown at any time of the year. Sown seed may take 9 - 24 months to germinate. From germination to flowering normally takes about five years as the plant first has to grow a bulb.

HARVESTED: 2022*

 

APPROX. 200+ SEEDS