Hyacinthoides Hispanica

This stately flower is distinguished from the common UK bluebell by its paler, larger, blue-striped flowers, more erect flower stems, broader leaves, and blue anthers, the common bluebell having creamy-white ones. A strong, robust plant, it comes from the woodlands and moist meadows of Spain and North Africa where it forms large clumps. It is a very effective bulb for planting under shrubs in garden borders or in woodland gardens, where in spring, strong, erect spikes of bell-shaped flowers appear. They can tolerate a wide range of soils but refer humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Care should be taken to prevent this species from hybridising with the less-vigorous British native Bluebell.