Hyacinthoides nonscripta
| Hyacinthoides nonscripta | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Hyacinthoides nonscripta (common name: bluebell)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring or as soon as ripe in a cold frame. It usually requires stratification. If you have plenty of seed it can be sown in situ, but it is usually more economical to sow it in a frame. If sown thinly, the seedlings can be left in their pots for the first year, though give them regular liquid feeds to make sure that they get sufficient nutrient. Prick out the seedlings about 3 to a pot and grow on for 1 - 2 more years before planting out into their permanent positions when they are dormant[K].
Division of the bulbs in summer after the leaves die down. Larger bulbs can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out when dormant in late summer.
Cultivation: Easily grown in a soil rich in leafmold[1], preferring semi-shade[2][3] but tolerating full sun. Succeeds in most soils but prefers a heavy one[4]. Succeeds in the dry shade of trees[5][6].
Bulbs like to be quite deep in the soil[4].
The flowers diffuse a balsam-like scent in the sunshine[7].
Range: Western Europe from the Netherlands and Britain o Belgium and France.
Habitat: Deciduous woodland[2], usually on slightly acid soils[8].
Medicinal: The bulb has diuretic and styptic properties[9]. It is used as a remedy for leucorrhoea[9].
Usage: A glue is obtained from the sap in the bulb and stem[9][10][11]. Simply cut open a bulb and apply the sap to whatever needs to be joined[K]. It makes an excellent paper glue, the join is stronger than the surrounding paper[10]. It would not work on non-absorbent materials such as plastics and glass[K].
A starch from the bulb has been used in laundering[9], it is very harsh on the skin[10].
Pollinators: Flies, beetles
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: The bulb (and the whole plant?) is poisonous[9].
Also Known As: Endymion non-scriptus. Scilla non-scriptus.
Links
References
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Knight, F. P.. Plants for Shade. Royal Horticultural Society, 1980.
- ↑ Brown, George. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Mabey, Richard. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana, 1979.
- ↑ Freethy, Ron. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press, 1985.