Wow Penny, that is such high praise! I really appreciate it! So glad to help.

Hi Sharon

Oh man, that sounds like a real problem! Plants sometimes just won’t be stopped. Destroying the leaves will definitely weaken the plant, but wont kill it. I wonder who chose to set up a place for horses in the middle of some toxic plants? I also think in the UK bluebells (the native ones) are a protected species, so getting rid of them could be a problem for that reason too…. I’m so sorry I’ve not got any more constructive response for you, I can see that’s a real nightmare! Could you possibly have a chat with the land-owner and pass the buck on to them? (That’s assuming you’re not the land-owner yourself…) Oh poor you, and your poor horses. Ho[pe you manage to sort things out soon. x

Richard – you absolute star! I really appreciate this input and will put a link to the page you suggest. Id not even heard of the pure Spanish bluebell, which just goes to show how easily one can get misled in the tangles world in hybrids and invasives. I very much appreciate you untangling me! Thankyou for taking the time. X

However I’m afraid the botany has moved on – your “Spanish” bluebells are in fact hybrids – the hybrid (Hyacinthoides x massartiana) is very variable. The pure Spanish bluebell (H hispanica) may not even occur in the UK at all. Yours are towards the Spanish end of the hybrid’s variability though.

Have a look at this page which summarises the situation very well – it’s written for Cumbria, but I think it applies just as well throughout the UK:
http://www.cumbriabotany.co.uk/look-out-for/bluebells/

Hi Dee

Gosh, thats all terribly early! I should imagine your wite flowers might be wild garlic or similar; a lot of the bulbs are monocots with those distinctive long strap-like leaves with parallel veins. And many are relatives of the onion or Alium family, which may explain the smell. if they are wild garlic then they’re really tasty to eat 0 both in salads, as a steamed green vegetable, or in a pesto.

Its troubling that the seasons are confusing flowering times so much – there are big questions about whether or not insects can synch their life cycles and thus ensure both pollination and their survival. Most garden bluebell species are indeed Spanish ones, so I reckon you’ve called that right.

X

That’s down to whatever website I was doing research with. And yes, hybrids are so annoying, best to err on the side of caution eh? Thanks Polly. Hope all is good with you. x

This is a brilliant description of the differences between the Bluebell species and I love the final note – if it has any of the features of the Spanish Bluebell, it’s a hybrid ! Good to keep things simple.