National Trust See Bluebell Season Start Early

National Trust officials are pre warning visitors to expect a short bluebell season this year due to the exceptionally dry start to 2012 we have been enduring. Last month was the third warmest and the fifth driest on record, meaning that bluebells are likely to peak across the UK over the first two weeks of April.

Due to low winter rainfall, this season’s bluebells could well be smaller, and fewer, than previous years. Bluebells normally peak in a ‘Mexican Wave’ effect, starting in the south west, then fanning out across the UK. But due to this year’s Spring, even this standard effect may change.

Bluebells are normally found in –

old woodland
thick old hedges
bracken-covered hillsides
sea cliffs

The National Trust is one of the most important organisations in the UK for bluebells as 25% of their woodland is ancient or semi-natural – the perfect habitats for the flower to flourish. In fact, 50% of the world’s bluebells can be found exclusively in the UK, so if you fancy checking out one of the countries most beautiful flowers, be sure to hit a National Trust area as soon as possible before they all disappear.

National Trust naturalist, Matthew Oates, said –

The warm and dry weather of the last few weeks has sped up the flowering process for bluebells, but the absence of rain means that visitors will need to be quick to see them – it could be a short but sweet season for bluebells, and other classic spring plants like the primrose. The bluebell starts growing in January with its sole purpose to flower before the other woodland plants but in dry conditions the bluebell will flower less, will be less abundant and its growth will be stunted.

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