Hyacinthoides hispanica (hy-uh-sin-THOY-deez his-PAN-ih-kuh)
Family: AsparagaceaeNon-nativeHerbaceous (1-3 ft)
Herbaceous (1-3 ft)Non-native
Spanish bluebell is a bulbous perennial herb in the asparagus family ( Asparagaceae) native to the Iberian Peninsula 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 Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
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
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
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.
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Bell; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
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.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Roundish green capsules containing 5-30 round black seeds.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Sturdy 10- 18-inch green stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Spain, Portugal and northwest Africa
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area; Small Space; Woodland
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.