Our Wildthings correspondent Eric Brown recommends a trip to see quintessential British spring flowers with therapeutic powers much loved by poets and capable of creating a powerful optical illusion.
ONE of the most spectacular sights in nature is now showing in a wood near you.
A bluebell carpet in spring assaults the eyes with riotous colour, has the power to restore diminished spirits and brings joy even in the most depressing circumstances.
These characteristically British wild flowers can grow in such profusion that an observer may be fooled into believing a lake lies glistening between distant trees. A slight breeze causes the close-knit blue hordes to ripple and resemble gentle waves.
Wild things: Looking forward to the return of the avian endurance champion
Narrow leaves arise from the bulb of Hyancinthoides non-scripta before being followed by a green stem then bell-shaped blue flowers in spring.
Flowers hang their heads while a Spanish variety that escaped into our countryside are much more erect and point towards the sun.
The name bluebell did not become common until popularised by British romantic poets in the early 19th century. John Clare, England’s foremost rural poet, and Gerard Manley Hopkins, are among those who committed their admiration for bluebells to paper.
Although they prefer woods and tolerate shaded areas, bluebells can also be located in hedgerows and occasionally in gardens of houses constructed where woodland once stood.
Wild Things: The unmistakeable garganey
Bluebell bonanzas can usually be seen in Lesnes Abbey Woods at Abbey Wood while Emmets Garden on National Trust land at Ide Hill near Sevenoaks, Kent, will be smothered annually. It is worth a look. But please do not be tempted to take bluebells home. Uprooting wild flowers without the landowners permission is illegal and can incur heavy fines.
Beaton’s Wood at Arlington, East Sussex pays tribute to the bluebell by opening up for a month for special “Bluebell Walks” raising money for local projects such as a school swimming pool and village hall. Railway enthusiasts gave a nod to the nodding flower by naming their nearby railway “The Bluebell Line” after saving it from extinction when axed by British Rail in 1958.
Bluebells always seem abundant because they grow in large colonies. But like many other species they may be threatened by climate change. Warmer temperatures could persuade the plants to bloom out of sync with ideal conditions, exposing them to risk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here