Wild Hyacinth

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

(L.) Chouard ex Rothm. Species

Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Mary E. Macaulay, P.Eng. via iNaturalist — CC BY 4.0
Hyacinthoides non-scripta photograph 1 Hyacinthoides non-scripta photograph 2 Hyacinthoides non-scripta photograph 3 Hyacinthoides non-scripta photograph 4 Hyacinthoides non-scripta photograph 5 Hyacinthoides non-scripta photograph 6
Botanical name
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Also known as
Bluebell, Harebell, Wild Hyacinth, Wood-Hyacinth
Family
Asparagaceae
Genus
Hyacinthoides
Flowering period
April to May
Height
20–40 cm
Spread
5–10 cm
Hardiness
Fully hardy (RHS H6)
Reference
World Flora Online

How to grow Wild Hyacinth

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team Last reviewed 21 July 2026 Written for UK gardens How we research our guidance

Sunlight
Dappled shade to partial shade
Watering
Moderate in spring; tolerates dry summer dormancy
Soil
Moist, humus-rich woodland soil that drains freely
Soil pH
Acid to neutral

Planting

Plant in the green in spring, or as bulbs in early autumn at about 10 cm deep, under deciduous trees and shrubs. The bulbs dry out badly in storage, so plant them the day they arrive. Buy only from suppliers who confirm cultivated British stock — wild bulbs are protected and much traded material is the Spanish species.

Pruning

None. Leave the foliage to die down completely; it looks messy for several weeks in early summer and that is unavoidable.

Propagation

Self-sows and increases by offsets, colonising slowly. Divide overcrowded clumps after flowering while still in leaf.

Pests and diseases

Generally trouble-free. Rust occasionally appears on the leaves late in the season.

Value to wildlife

A major spring nectar source for bumblebees, hoverflies and butterflies in woodland and shady gardens.

Notes

The native bluebell has narrow leaves, deep blue flowers hanging on one side of an arching stem, cream pollen and a strong scent. The Spanish bluebell and its hybrids are upright, broader-leaved, paler, blue-pollened and near-scentless, and they cross with the native readily — do not plant them near a native colony.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Hyacinthoides non-scripta but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Agraphis cernua Agraphis nutans Endymion cernuus Endymion lacaillei Endymion non-scriptus Endymion nutans Hyacinthoides non-scripta Hyacinthoides non-scripta var. cernua Hyacinthus campanulatus Hyacinthus cernuus Hyacinthus non-scriptus Hyacinthus nutans Hyacinthus pratensis Hylomenes non-scripta Lagocodes belgica Lagocodes cernua Lagocodes nutans Scilla cernua Scilla festalis Scilla non-scripta subsp. cernua Scilla nonscripta Scilla nutans Syncodium nutans Usteria hyacinthiflora Usteria non-scripta Usteria secunda

Others in Hyacinthoides

Hyacinthoides × massartiana
Hyacinthoides aristidis
Hyacinthoides cedretorum
Hyacinthoides ciliolata
Hyacinthoides flahaultiana
Hyacinthoides hispanica
Garden Bluebell
Hyacinthoides italica
Italian Bluebell
Hyacinthoides kroumiriensis

GardenDecoded is an educational gardening reference. Botanical data comes from World Flora Online and GBIF; growing guidance is our own. Always check a plant's toxicity and local invasiveness status before planting, and never eat or apply a plant based on this site alone.