The Italian Bluebell (Hyacinthoides italica) and the Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) are bulbous perennial plants in the Asparagaceae family. They are also known as Wild Hyacinths, Wood Bells, Lady’s Nightcaps, and Witches’ Thimbles.
They take 5-7 years to flower from seed. They produce 5-12 tubular drooping violet to blue flowers on each stem. The leafless stems are 50 centimetres (20 inches) tall. The flowers aer about 2 centimetres (1 inch) long. They have a strong scent.
They bloom in spring from February to May.
The Italian Bluebell has 10-40 centimetre (4-16 inch) stems with 5-30 violet-blue star-like flowers. The Spanish Bluebell has paler and larger blue flowers that don’t droop as much as Italian Bluebell flowers. They have little or no scent.
Photographed in Paris, France, April 2021.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
MARTINA NICOLLS