Hyacinthoides non-scripta Rosea - Common Bluebell

Hyacinthoides non-scripta 'Rosea', known as the pink bluebell, is a pale pink-flowered form of the famous wood hyacinth. It is a fairly rare bulb, whose graceful flower stalks will enliven the undergrowth and semi-shaded gardens. Originating from Western Europe, this easy-to-grow variety adds a touch of charm and colour to spring.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta, from the Asparagaceae family, is sometimes called the 'nodding bluebell', 'small hyacinth', or 'nodding endymion'. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a bulb, native to the woodlands of Western Europe. This woodland botanical species is accustomed to moist, humus-bearing, and siliceous soils, but it can be easily cultivated in well-prepared garden soil. The 'Rosea' form is extremely rare in nature. Its storage organ is an ovoid bulb covered with a skin. Vegetation emerges from the ground in spring: the bulb produces a tuft of long, narrow, shiny, bright green basal leaves. This nodding bluebell grows rapidly, reaching about 30 cm high and spreading laterally by producing numerous daughter bulbs. Flowering takes place in April-May. Fleshy stems emerge from the foliage, bearing on their curved terminal part a cluster of small semi-pendulous bell-shaped flowers, all arranged on the same side of the stem. This slightly fragrant flowering is nectar-rich, attracting bees. The flowers are followed by capsules containing seeds that easily germinate the following spring.

The pink bluebell is a truly charming wild plant: over time, it forms large flowering carpets under deciduous trees, in clearings and in semi-shaded areas of the garden. It is best to give it a slightly neglected corner: when it is happy, this little bulb spreads and naturalises. It naturally associates with its blue or white forms (White/Blue Wood Hyacinth Collection), daffodils, hellebores, and wood anemone Anemone nemorosa.