The British bluebell is under threat (From Malvern Gazette)

The British bluebell is under threat

11:13am Friday 4th May 2007

• Print
• Email
• Share

THE British bluebell, which is currently carpeting woodlands around Malvern, is under threat, according to the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

The native wildflower, which is a protected species, is threatened in a number of ways. Due to its popularity in our gardens wild bulbs are dug up illegally, while the cultivated Spanish bluebell grown in many gardens can mix with the native variety and threaten its long-term survival. The flower could also be affected by climate change, with knock-on effects for other wildlife including bees and butterflies.

Gill Evans, of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said people could help save this popular native wild flower by checking the bulbs they buy from garden centres have been cultivated for sale and by not planting Spanish bluebells if they live near native bluebells in the countryside. Another way to help is to take part in an online survey by the Natural History Museum, which is creating a map of where bluebells grow in the UK and when they flower.

Visit the website www.nhm.ac.uk/ bluebells for more details.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust's own bluebell woods can be visited this month. See www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk for more information.

• Print
• Email
• Share