Spanish bluebells
 

Hi,

I have two populations of bluebell on my property, native and Spanish.
The Spanish are down at the front, where there used to be cultivated
garden, and in the banks fronting onto the road. The native are up at
the top in the old hedgerow between the fields. So far as I can tell,
the two haven't mixed. although I don't know that I could tell a hybrid
if I saw one.

Personally, I prefer the native ones. I think they're subtler and more
graceful. They also seem quite vigorous and are propagating out into the
field (my side) where sheep no longer eat them and I'm planting trees.
But I know the Spanish ones are considered a problem and a danger to the
native populations.

What would other people do in my position? If I get rid of the Spanish
ones, the banks and new orchard area would be less rich, with no
guarantee that the native ones would thrive there. OTOH, I wouldn't like
to see the native ones smothered. There's approx 150 yards between the
two at present.


Brian Mitchell