Hyacinthoides

This is now the genus that encompasses Bluebells and that name is sometimes loosely applied to the entire genus. Hyacinthoides consists of 11 or so species spread across western Europe and western Mediterranean region in the mountains of Iberia and Northern Africa. They do however range as far north as the UK and as far west as the Atlantic coast of Morocco, as far east as the Maritime Alps of France and Italy and more easterly still in Tunisia. They were formerly included within Scilla, but gradually their distinct nature has been accepted.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta, the English Bluebell, surely familiar to all, now falls into this genus and it gives a good general idea of the genus as a whole. Increasingly Hyacinthoides non-scripta is being replaced in the wild in the UK by the hybrid x massartiana, which is said to have the Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) as its other parent (it seems that even this parentage is now being questioned).

A ground breaking, 2010 paper by Grundmann et al. clearly sets out current thinking on the genus and contains not only a superb key, but also a map showing the geographical distributions for all of the species.

All Hyacinthoides are blue-flowered perennial bulbs and those that we have grown here do well in sun or light shade, in a well drained, humus rich soil. Many do well out in the garden, a few seem to do better still in pots under alpine glass..

Available for ordering from our Autumn list only.