Height up to 30 cm. Flowers violet blue, occasionally pinkish or white, nodding tubular bells 14 to 20 mm long, borne in a one sided raceme drooping towards the tip. Leaves 3 to 6 linear-lanceolate. The anthers are creamy white in this species.

Indicator Species - Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

The hybrid with Spanish Bluebell is becoming more common and is easily confused. Spanish Bluebell has blue anthers and a more trumpet-shaped flower. The native Bluebell has flowers that are more tubular and parallel-sided. The two species hybridise - see our page for Hybrid Bluebell for details.

• http://www.cumbriabotany.co.uk/look-out-for/bluebells/
• http://webidguides.com/_templates/group_bluebell.html

Narrow leaves, anthers cream, raceme drooping at tip, flowers tubular (parallel-sided) and with strongly recurved petals. 

Photo of the flowering plant in its habitat, plus closeup of flower and stamens (a side-on view of some flowers is helpful).  Plants in currently or previously wooded habitats are likely to be this. Photos in leaf or of seed-heads cannot be accepted. (RPR)

Woods, sometimes in shady ditches, etc.

April to June.

Perennial.

Common and widespread throughout Britain.

Common in suitable locations in Leicestershire and Rutland.

In the current Checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as native, woodland; usually on at least moderately acid soils, locally abundant.

It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) because of its legal protection

http://sppaccounts.bsbi.org/content/hyacinthoides-non-scripta-h-hispanica-h-x-massartiana.html