Spanish Bluebell
Hyacinthoides hispanica
Unlike the drooping English bluebell, the Spanish bluebell holds its flowers erect on all sides of the stem and has little to no scent.
- Scientific name
- Hyacinthoides hispanica
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Asparagales › Asparagaceae › Hyacinthoides
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodlands, forest edges, meadows, and gardens.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis utilizing sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- Range
- Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States
- Size
- Height of 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20 inches).
- Lifespan
- Perennial (individual bulbs can live for decades, spreading indefinitely).
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Few natural threats; however, it poses an ecological threat in non-native regions by hybridizing with and displacing native bluebell species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch and beautiful to observe from any distance. However, all parts of the plant, especially the bulb, are highly toxic if ingested by humans or pets due to cardiac glycosides. If ingested, seek immediate medical or veterinary assistance. Do not forage.
Hyacinthoides hispanica (syn. Endymion hispanicus or Scilla hispanica ), the Spanish bluebell , is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial native to the Iberian Peninsula. It is one of around 11 species in the genus Hyacinthoides , others including the common bluebell ( Hyacinthoides non-scripta ) in northwestern Europe, and the Italian bluebell ( Hyacinthoides italica ) further east in the Mediterranean region.
Photo: Mark Gurney, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/c390510d-8300-4653-9473-6f028e201637.md