Spanish Bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- hy-uh-sin-THOY-deez his-PAN-ih-kuh
- This plant has high severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Spanish Bluebell is a bulbous perennial herb that grows up to 1 1⁄2 foot tall and has showy, bell-shaped, lavender-blue flowers. Flowers bloom in late spring and each bulb produces multiple flower scapes and the corolla is not fused. This plant is clump-forming, naturalizes easily, and can become weedy. It spreads by bulb offsets and seeds.
This plant prefers moist, well-drained soil and part sun or partial shade but tolerates full sun to full shade. Avoid planting in unamended clay soils. Bulbs must be lifted and divided during dormancy when they become overcrowded and replanted 3" deep and 4-6 inches apart. It is Hardy II, injured at temperatures below 14 degrees F (-10C) when planted.
Use these bulbs to add spring color at the woodland edge, groundcover under deciduous trees, in rock gardens, woodland gardens, borders, beds, or pots.
Quick ID Hints:
- More than 1 flower scape per bulb
- Clumps of strap-shaped, reflexed, 1-11⁄2" wide leaves
- Flowers are bell-shaped, corolla not fused, and have 6 tepals
- Each nodding flower is subtended by 2 bracts
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Shaded Slope Four-Season Garden
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Alba'
White flowers - 'Excelsior'
Larger flowers
- 'Alba'
- 'Alba', 'Excelsior'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Alba'
White flowers - 'Excelsior'
Larger flowers
- 'Alba'
- 'Alba', 'Excelsior'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Hyacinthoides
- Species:
- hispanica
- Family:
- Asparagaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Bulb
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Spain, Portugal and northwest Africa
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Bulb
- Ground Cover
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- Roundish green capsules containing 5-30 round black seeds.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 6 petals/rays
- 7 - 20 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The terminal flowers are unscented, campanulate (bell to tube-shaped), and have 6-8 petals that are blue or pink. The 6 free tepals are .8" across. They are oblong-lanceolate, spreading, and are not curved at tips. Anthers are blue. The inflorescence is a loose scapose terminal raceme with 2 blue-tinted linear-lanceolate bracts per flower.
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The long and slender leaves are linear-lanceolate and grow up to 8"-20" long and .5"-1.5" wide in clumps. Most plants have only 4-8 leaves.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Description:
- Sturdy 10- 18-inch green stems
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Naturalized Area
- Small Space
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Cutting Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Deer
- Dry Soil
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Poisonous to Humans
- Weedy
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- High
- Poison Symptoms:
- HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! SKIN IRRITATION MINOR, OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Pain in the mouth, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, cramping, diarrhea, and lowered heart rate. Skin irritation in susceptible individuals.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cardiac glycosides
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
