07/06/2013
A message from the chair of Friends of Spencer Park:
Dear Resident,
Spanish Bluebells
You may have heard that we have been clearing Spanish bluebells from Spencer Park. Why are we doing this? After all, Spanish bluebells have pretty mid-blue flowers. They can be seen in numerous front gardens in Spencer Avenue, Spencer Road, Belvedere Road, Broadway, Berkeley Road North, and Mayfield Road – to name only those roads closest to the park.
English bluebells (as we call them) are native to the Atlantic coast of Europe but are most common in the British Isles and Ireland. They have thin leaves, the flowers are dark blue, on one side of a curved stem and give off a wonderful scent. Spanish bluebells are an imported but established species, with mid-blue flowers which surround an erect stem; they have almost no scent.
Last year, as part of our plan to improve Spencer Park, we planted 500 English bluebells in the shaded west border before we realised the extent of the threat from Spanish bluebells which had spread across the park. What is this threat?
1. Spanish bluebells interbreed with English bluebells, through cross-pollination. But the hybrids are dominated by their Spanish parentage. The flowers are pretty (sometimes white or pink) but there is little scent. Over time, as a species, English bluebells are ‘submerged’. This is recognised as a danger by the Royal Horticultural Society.
2. Spanish bluebells are invasive, spreading within a garden, and from garden to garden. Once established, they will smother other plants They can now be seen in local pavements.
If Spanish bluebells are not removed from the park and from gardens for a good distance around it (bees travel far!) then our plan for a beautiful scented glade of English bluebells in May will fail. In addition, as the Spanish bluebells spread along Spencer Road, before too long they will reach Top Green, to squeeze out the crocuses and daffodils that are one of its distinctive features. And from Belvedere Road and Warwick Avenue they will reach Stivichall Common, where there is a bluebell glade.
So far we have removed about 70% of the Spanish bluebells from the park and prevented the remainder from flowering. But we need your help to remove Spanish bluebells from local gardens. Several residents have already done this.
The best way is dig deep under each clump (or occasional single plant), extract the bulbs and put them in the green waste bin (not the brown bin for garden waste as the bulbs will infect any compost and then spread). You will need to do this for a few years as some always escape. If you cannot dig up Spanish bluebells because they are in a path or rockery, or under a hedge, or because you are too busy, then cut them to the ground with garden shears on a regular basis. Over time they will die as having no leaves robs the bulbs of nutrients. And without flowers, there will be no cross-pollination with English bluebells.
So will you please help us in this project to create a beautiful glade of English bluebells in Spencer Park by removing any Spanish bluebells from your garden as soon as possible. For advice, contact [email protected] (website: friendsofspencerpark.org) or leave a message on 07816 309041.
Paul Smith
