SAMARA:
Harebell in the rain
Campanula rotundifolia.
The delicate, nodding blue bells of Harebells are one of the prettiest additions to our hedgerows, grasslands, hillsides, sand dunes and cliffs. As they flower from July to September, they are out long after many of our wildflowers so really make an impact. They also provide a late source of nectar for bees.
But it’s not just the wildlife and people that enjoy harebells. Fairy folk and witches are strongly associated with these flowers in folklore. A patch of harebells is a favourite home for fairies and if one is to walk through such a clump, the fairies cast spells on the perpetrator, giving this flower the names of Dead Man’s Bells and Fairies’ thimbles. In Scotland, this is often the plant referred to as 'bluebell'.
Harebell in the rain
Campanula rotundifolia.
The delicate, nodding blue bells of Harebells are one of the prettiest additions to our hedgerows, grasslands, hillsides, sand dunes and cliffs. As they flower from July to September, they are out long after many of our wildflowers so really make an impact. They also provide a late source of nectar for bees.
But it’s not just the wildlife and people that enjoy harebells. Fairy folk and witches are strongly associated with these flowers in folklore. A patch of harebells is a favourite home for fairies and if one is to walk through such a clump, the fairies cast spells on the perpetrator, giving this flower the names of Dead Man’s Bells and Fairies’ thimbles. In Scotland, this is often the plant referred to as 'bluebell'.