bluebell

Everyday

1. A wild plant with nodding, bell-shaped blue or purple flowers that grows in woods in spring, especially in Britain and Ireland. tree →
2. (Scotland) Another name for the harebell, a delicate blue summer flower. tree →
3. In other places, other blue bell-shaped flowers, like Virginia bluebells in the USA. tree →

In the lessons

In nature lessons in the UK and Ireland, bluebell woods are a famous spring sight; they show that a wood is very old (ancient woodland). Bluebells are protected: it is illegal to dig them up from the wild. In fairy stories bluebells ring to call fairies. Phrases: bluebell wood, a carpet of bluebells.

Examples

• In spring, the wood was carpeted with bluebells. tree →
• Bluebells grow best in old woods. tree →
• Don't pick or dig up wild bluebells; they are protected. tree →
• The bluebells smelled sweet in the sunshine. tree →
• We walked through a bluebell wood on our school trip. tree →
• Bees love bluebell flowers. tree →
• Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valley, and the heather that blows on the hill. tree →

Note

Countable: a bluebell, bluebells. One word. Safety: all parts of bluebells are poisonous to eat, especially for pets. Its Latin name is Hyacinthoides.