Hyacinthoides non-scripta

[johnw]

Several times in the past I have purchased bulbs of English bluebells locally and in British Columbia, I have also grown seed from the exchanges.  I never get the true English bluebell, which, by the way I have never seen live.  As many will know we wind up with Hyanthinthoides hispanica or as it was sold in those days, Scilla campanulata; perhaps even hybrids.  I purchased the bulbs in the photos locally two days ago and the bulbs to me look exactly like those of the packaged H. hispanica on the same shelf. Can anyone confirm if the bulbs are very similar?  I am not really expecting to get English bluebells from this planting, in pots by the way until confirmed.

Maggi -  Hope your forecast is wrong, this must be somewhat of a record for Aberdeen eh? Mist on & off all evening and this morning here, +4c and expecting a very strong Nor'easter with 30+ mm of rain. Temp. here to go to +8c.  Much of the east coast of North America has received snow in quantity, even south to N. Carolina.  Central New Brunswick may get snow, hopefully Helen will not have to dig out.   The worst of these storms has been the terrible beach erosion around the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

johnw

[bulborum]

The picture is Hyacinthus hispanica
and the bulbs look terrible and look as Hyacinthus hispanica too
I will have a look for you if I have real bulbs for you
otherwise I have seeds next year for you
I will post a picture soon here

Roland

[johnw]

The picture is Hyacinthus hispanica
and the bulbs look terrible and look as Hyacinthus hispanica too
I will have a look for you if I have real bulbs for you
otherwise I have seeds next year for you
I will post a picture soon here

Roland

Roland  - The picture mistake is not a shock as they frequently use a similar photo be it correct or wrong.  I will write an indignant letter to the company. As for the bulbs these were the best of the lot, sitting around on the shelf too long maybe 3 months now and worse, in a heated room.  Many thanks for your offer and hopefully I can return the favour with another genus entirely!

johnw

[bulborum]

I sorted out a few pictures from my collection
the first is a Hyacinthoides hispanica Exelsior

Roland

[mark smyth]

John I can send you some small bulbils next summer

[Maggi Young]

Precious few real Bluebells about  inthe UK now.... there are several attempts being made to conserve the remaining Scottish Bluebell woods..... meaning, of course, Hyacinthoides non-scripta and not the "Scottish Bluebell" the HareBell, Campanula rotundifolia.

We had a chap from Eigg on the BBC radio phone in a few weeks ago who is working to "save " the native bluebell   .... his website is www.eddieseiggcroft.com
 

[johnw]

Lovely non-scripta pix.  The hispanica is an absolute thug here,  you may plant all the colour forms but the whites and pinks peter out after some years. 

johnw

[bulborum]

I forgot to post this pale one
witch I collected at Saint jean de Beauregard
in the middle of my stand
The owner had no problem by rescuing it
this is why it is called Beauregard

Roland

[johnw]

I just received 200 seeds from the Isle of Eigg. Now I am wondering how to treat them as the instructions are for sowing outdoors. I plan to give them an over-night soak, use a leafy-gritty mix and then give 90 days of cold treatment.  Any suggestions are welcomed.

The seeds were vacuum-packed.

johnw

[bulborum]

I would use soil from my own garden
never seen them growing in leafy-gritty mixture
They are always in heavy soils

Roland

[GoodGrief]

The bluebell season is now in full swing...

I first noticed these white bluebells in my garden last year. I also spotted some 200m down a bridle path from our house.

Apart from being white rather than blue, they look identical to the typical woodland hyacinthoides non-scripta.

I'm pretty certain it's not your spanish variety as I've never bought a bluebell in 17 years of living here.

Any thoughts?

Regards, Malcolm
Sussex Weald

[bulborum]

For me they look like H. hispanica white form
In all those years I have never seen
a white or pink one in the nature
if there is somebody with wild collected seeds or bulb
I am interested
I think most white and pink ones are crosses with H. hispanica
It would be good to have some "pure" clones

Roland

[johnw]

For me they look like H. hispanica white form
In all those years I have never seen
a white or pink one in the nature
if there is somebody with wild collected seeds or bulb
I am interested
I think most white and pink ones are crosses with H. hispanica
It would be good to have some "pure" clones

Roland

Roland  - Try here:

http://www.eddieseiggcroft.com/index.asp?pageid=228322

johnw

[GoodGrief]

I feel like I've been told I've some dangerous disease!! I've read articles of people trampling upon
and spraying with weed-killer  colonies of Spanish bulbs to stop hybridising with local populations.

Shame! They still make a pretty picture. Wondering how they managed to get into the edges of the farmer's field?

Uncannily, I saw white bluebells in local woods this morning.
Flowers much slimmer and tube-like, turning out just at the tip.

I imagine they must be non-scripta? Much more delicate than their Spanish cousins.

Must take a camera tomorrow.

Malcolm.

[bulborum]

Hello Malcome

I will be happy with a few pictures
from blue and white to compare
if there are enough please one bulb
if there are houses nearby
it is still possible a hybrid
as far as I know are all Dutch bulbs,
and the bulbs exported all over the world, hybrids

john I will try your site


Roland