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Bluebells - Image by PicturesOfEngland.com member Raymond Thurlby (view gallery)
Marwood Hill - Image by PicturesOfEngland.com member Martin Humphreys (view gallery)
Bluebells can be seen from mid-April through to late-May, though it can vary depending on the location and weather. A particularly mild spring for instance, might cause them to flower earlier, so if you are planning to travel any distance to see them, do try to check that they are in flower before you set off.
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Coton Manor Gardens - Image by PicturesOfEngland.com member Kevin Sinclair (view gallery)
Bluebells, when in flower, can be seen in many places, such as along shady hedgerows, in churchyards, along hillsides, in meadows and open fields, and even along the clifftops of the English coastline, however, the best place to experience them by far and where they truly are at their natural best is throughout Britain's ancient woodlands and forests, where the entire woodland floor can sometimes be covered in thousands upon thousands of them, creating the stunning spectacle that we all know and love and can be witnessed in the many beautiful bluebell photos on this website.
If you don't know anywhere near you where you can see them like this, it may be worth asking around as most towns and villages usually have their own special place where you can go to see them close by, or if not, you could visit one of the locations on the list we link to below in the Photos & Resources section, just make sure you get your timing right as bluebells only flower for a limited time each year during spring, so please find out if they are in flower before making a special journey.
It is also worth noting that the bluebell is considered an ancient woodland indicator species, meaning that finding bluebells within a woodland can often indicate that the woodland is an ancient one, perhaps dating back to 1600, or further still to the giant wildwood that once covered much of England after the last ice age, which is when bluebells are said to have first appeared in Britain.
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The native British Bluebell - close up 2 - Image by PicturesOfEngland.com member John Godley (view gallery)
There are two main types of Bluebell in England, that is our own native variety of 'British Bluebell' (pictured above) and also its cousin, the 'Spanish Bluebell' (pictured below) which was introduced by the Victorians as a garden plant but soon found its way into our countryside and is considered a threat to our native species, with worries that it may cause "extinction by hybridisation". Therefore if you are planning to plant bluebells in your garden, please try to make sure you are planting the British bluebell, and not any other type or hybrid, as doing so could endanger our native ones.
How to tell the difference between British Bluebells and Spanish Bluebells
The main difference is that our native bluebell has a drooping stem towards the top, due to the flowers being on just one side of the stem, as apose to all around the upright stem on the Spanish variety. The native British bluebell is also scented, whilst its Spanish cousin is not. You will also find that our native bluebells have a more narrow tubular-bell flower, whereas the Spanish is more of a conical bell, and with larger flower and leaves. There are colour differences too, with our bluebells a deep violet-blue in colour, as apose to the pale blue Spanish variety. However both species can also be white.
The bluebell close up image above by John Godley shows the native British bluebell, whereas the following image by David Reynold's shows the upright Spanish bluebell, with its larger flowers which are all around the stem, larger leaves, and pale blue colour.
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Bluebells, Steeple Claydon, Bucks - Image by PicturesOfEngland.com member Tony Tooth (view gallery)
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Nettlebed Misty Bluebell Woodlands - Image by PicturesOfEngland.com member Ceri Jones (view gallery)
Often associated with fairies, there is lots of interesting folklore surrounding the British bluebell. Whether it's true or not, well that's up to you!
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Bluebells at Silverwood - Image by PicturesOfEngland.com member Mick Carver (view gallery)
No Picking
Bluebells are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) which means you can't pick them, or dig them up in the countryside, and you can't remove them from your land to sell.
Tread Carefully
Bluebells sometimes never recover if you tread on them, so please try to be careful and stick to obvious paths and established routes whilst out exploring their habitat or taking photos. Thank you.
Planting & Disposing
If you are planning to plant bluebells, please plant the British Bluebell, and not the Spanish one or one of its hybrids. Also, if you are removing none native bluebells from your land, please ensure to properly dispose of them so that they don't make it 'over the fence' and become established and a threat to our native species.
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Badby wood - Image by PicturesOfEngland.com member Martin Humphreys (view gallery)
There are hundreds of bluebell photos posted by our members for you to enjoy. If you would like to post your own bluebell pictures, please do so by joining the site. Here are links to other bluebell photos on the site -
Photos
Bluebells - A picture tour compiled by member Peggy Cannell. There are approx. 92 images in this picture tour by Peggy. If you are viewing them on a PC, you can sit back and enjoy them in a slideshow.
Bluebell image search - around 272 images of Bluebells from across England and the rest of Britain.
Resources
Bluebell Woods in England - A list of Bluebell woods to visit in England, from the Woodland Trust, with useful visitor information and photos.
Tips for photographing bluebells - Six top tips for photographing bluebells from National Trust volunteer photographer Hugh Mothersole.
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