Why are bluebells so important?
Living in the south east of England it's easy to forget that the English bluebell is declining year on year, that's because here in the UK we have 50% of the world's bluebells, with Kent being particularly abundant in them.
During spring, bluebells are the main source of pollen for bees and other pollinators that inhabit woodlands. This means that bluebells are crucial to spring time ecology and is the reason that the UK government made it against the law to pick willd bluebells. This coupled with their decline in numbers makes them a sepcies in danger.
The main competitor, while still visually spectacular, are the non native Spanish bluebell. The Spanish species lacks the same multitude of scents that adds to the iconic spectacle of a bluebell woodland. There is a real possibility that in the near future, by a combination of human devestation and climate change that the English bluebell could become a thing of the past. Spanish bluebells thrive in areas of neglect, either from fly tipping or from trampled exisiting bluebells which adds to their faster rate of growth. As English bluebells take years to recover from such damage they are easily being overtaken and driven out of their habitats.
