This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
bluebells
elizabeth 8
Posts: 12
in Plants
hi there have just joined. i have some "pink" bluebells flowering amongst my native ones. why are they pink or what are they. they are identical to my blu ones . thank you
0
Posts
Edd - that was the wrong link - this is the thread where we've been discussing this http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/plants/english-bluebellspanish-bluebellscilla-is-it-me-or-are-these-plants-confusing/316371.html
And as we discussed, very occasionally white or pink English Native Bluebells occur http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/survey-bluebells/bluebell-identification/native/ - I photographed one yesterday and posted it on that thread, and Fidgetbones has done the same.
However, this is very uncommon - it would be helpful to see photographs of your blue/pinkbells Elizabeth, and it would also be good if you could check out the identifying features as shown here http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/survey-bluebells/bluebell-identification/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
thanks to you both. my bluebells have been in my garden for a lot of years, but the pink ones have appeared and they are identical to the blue ones in flower and foiliage. i will attempt to put a pic on here
these are my pink bluebells
i dont think i have done these pics very well
I think these are the results of your native bluebells being cross-pollinated with Spanish bluebells from elsewhere - the seeds have developed and these have grown.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
that seems like an excellent surprise to find! very pretty!
That depends on whether you want to keep our English Native bluebells - I know they're pretty but the English Natives are being cross-pollinated with Spanish ones and eventually there'll be few natives left.
For me there are two alternatives
1. dig out and remove the pink ones and any others that appear to be 'Spanglish' - this will prevent them cross-pollinating any other English Natives in the area
or
2. pick the Spanglish ones and put them in a pretty vase indoors - that way they won't set seed and increase as much as they would if left.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
thanks to you all for your really helpful comments