Bluebells have long been symbolic of humility and gratitude. They are associated with constancy, gratitude and everlasting love. Bluebells are also closely linked to the realm of fairies and are sometimes referred to as "fairy thimbles." To call fairies to a convention, the bluebells would be rung.

Bluebells are widely known as harebells in Scotland. The name originated due to the hares that frequented the fields covered with harebells. Some sources claim that witches turned themselves into hares to hide among the flowers.

Another name for bluebells is Dead Man's bells. This is due to the fact that fairies were believed to cast spells on those who dare to pick or damage the beautiful, delicate flowers. The people of Scotland are fond enough of the flower to continue this tradition in the hopes of protecting the little flower.

Bluebell Facts

Bluebells can be found in North America, Western Europe and North Africa. In some areas they are referred to as wild hyacinths. Bluebells grow in forests, grasslands, mountainsides, along the ocean and in brush areas. Bluebells are members of the lily family and native to Portugal and Spain. A favorite flower around the world for many centuries, the bluebell is a particularly beloved flower in Britain.

Growing Bluebells

Bluebells are easy to grow, can handle both sun and shade and even thrive in neglected gardens. Bluebells are usually grown from bulbs and reproduce by creating smaller offset bulbs as well as seeds. Bluebells will also grow in pots, tubs and urns.

Bluebells normally flower early in the year from April through June. The delicate flowers hang from a central stem. The plant also features narrow leaves in light to medium green. Many butterflies just leaving winter hibernation are fans of the bluebell's nectar.

Edible Bluebells and Medicinal Uses

Mountain bluebells are an edible variety of bluebells that grow in the western United States on stream bank sand in wet meadows, damp thickets and foothills in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, California and Oregon.

The flowers can be eaten raw and the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Mountain bluebells also have medicinal uses:

Mountain bluebells was used medicinally by the Cheyenne Indians. An infusion of leaves was taken for smallpox and measles. And infusion of the whole plant was taken by women after childbirth to increase milk flow. An infusion of powdered roots was taken for itching from smallpox.
[http://montana.plant-life.org/species/merten_cilia.htm]

Bluebell Photos for Projects and Design

Need photos of bluebells? Please visit Dreamstime Stock Photography. Dreamstime is a distinguished leader in stock photography and a major supplier of high quality digital images at unbelievable prices. The Dreamstime database is renewed with thousands of fresh images and titles on a daily basis. See more photos here.

Plant Bluebells in Your Garden this Year

Find plants, trees and flowers at Nature Hills Nursery, Inc. Nature Hills Nursery offers one of the largest selections of high quality live plants and related products online, complete with extensive plant information.

Order Bouquets and Flowers
The extensive FloristOne catalog features flowers for every occasion and an extensive network of florists that allows for same day delivery to nearly all of the United States and Canada. Send a classic gift with special meaning for a birthday, baby's birth, holiday, sympathy, graduation or other special occasion. Nothing else communicates your sentiments quite as well as flowers. See our selection of bouquets and flowers here or go directly to the FloristOne website to see all flowers available.

©2008-2009 Living Arts Enterprises, LLC

See a complete list of symbolism articles on this site.

References
Montana Plant Life-Flora and Identification of Edible, Medicinal and Poisonous Plants, http://montana.plant-life.org.

Dave's Garden Guide, http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1615.

Kathleen Karlsen, MA is a professional artist and freelance writer. She is an expert in symbolism, personal growth, design psychology, natural living, and holistic parenting. Kathleen's writing experience includes web content development, article syndication, scriptwriting, books and marketing communications. See Kathleen's art at www.kathleenkarlsenart.com. Contact Kathleen at kathleenkarlsen@msn.com.

Article Use Policy: All content on this web site is protected by international copyright laws for intellectual property and may not be reproduced, used, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission.

Contact the author for permission to reprint articles for your own website, newsletter or other publications. Credit must be given to the author, a copyright notification must be included and a link to http://www.livingartsoriginals.com.