How you can play a part in looking after bluebells
To most of us, however, a gorgeous spread of bluebells is an irresistible sight in spring. To show our appreciation, it’s the most tempting thing in the world to step into the blue for a photo opportunity, however, your feet could be doing more damage than you realise.
Bluebells have soft, succulent leaves that are particularly sensitive to being trodden on. Once the leaves are damaged, they are unable to absorb the sun and photosynthesise so they die back. In turn, this means they can’t put food back into their bulbs, reducing their ability to produce flowers and seeds.
You see it in popular bluebell woods where narrow tracks made by one person soon become wider and the bluebells end up in island-like patches instead of the blue carpet we all love.
Another reason to stick to designated paths in bluebell woods is that the bulbs become damaged when the soil is compacted from the weight of footfall.
The situation has become so critical in the most popular bluebell areas that in some places we've had to take decisive measures to control the numbers of people and where they walk, simply to preserve the flowers so that future generations can enjoy them.
Enjoy them with respect
This is not to say that we should stay away. Far from it. Bluebells are an important and essential part of our natural heritage, a welcome sign that spring is well under way and the warmer days of summer are not far off. As long as we treat them with respect, we’ll be able to enjoy our blue woodlands for many years to come.