Survey of Fife's under-threat wild bluebells

The flowers are a familiar sight in spring, but the native bluebell is under threat from a Spanish variety introduced as a garden plant.

A new project run by Fife Nature Records Centre and Fife Council’s biodiversity team is taking a closer look at the bluebells in Fife and updating its knowledge of where native bluebells remain and where non-natives are now found.

Johanna Willi, biodiversity coordinator at Fife Council, said: “Bluebells are an indicator species; they tell us about the age and health of our woodland environment. Our bluebells are also significant because the UK is home to half of the world’s population.”

The current status of Fife’s bluebells is uncertain. With the help of the public, this project will build a clearer picture and contribute to nature conservation.

If you’ve seen wild bluebells in Fife, or even if you remember seeing them sometime in the past, tell the team what you’ve seen at the bluebell survey webpage bluebell survey webpage.

The site has more information about the different kinds of bluebells in Fife and how you can tell the difference between the different species.

The project is supported by funding from Scottish Natural Heritage.