In wetter, western Britain, bluebells may grow in the open away from a protective tree cover but in the east they do best in the shade and extra moisture of woodland. Making use of early summer sunlight before the main trees are fully out, casting them into deep shade, bluebells often form homogenous stands. Like many blue flowers, pink and white forms occur naturally. The magnet of bluebell vistas in Spring attracts many visitors to the woods. Our native woodlands in both urban and rural areas are under increasing pressure from the sheer number of people wanting to enjoy them.
Bluebells are under some threat.
They have suffered for many years from picking and more recently from uprooting for commercial harvesting. The Government has just announced legislation making it illegal to dig up wild bluebells for sale to gardeners. Reproduction by seed is the bluebell's main method of propagation in many areas - if the flowers are trampled or eaten or picked, the population's long term survival is endangered. Bluebells also suffer from deer grazing particularly from the introduced Muntjac or barking deer in southern England. Even though bluebells are sensitive to trampling, their life form means they are not as susceptible as other plant species in the herb layer.