I never used to pay much attention to the plants growing around me, preferring instead to focus on the fall season and the changing colors of the leaves. However, once I started taking daily photoshoots in nature, I began to notice the variety and colors of the plants, particularly during the spring months when they would break the soil and bloom.

One of the standout plants that caught my attention was the Virginia bluebell, which grows in large patches along wet woodland areas. I often see them starting to bloom in mid-March near a stream in Edwin Warner Park here in Nashville. The bluebell flowers start as bell-shaped clusters at the end of their stems. They begin as pink buds, which then turn pinkish-purple before opening up into an intense sky blue.

As the bluebells bloom so early in spring, they play a critical role in providing food for pollinators like bees. The flowers will bloom for approximately three weeks until they are shaded out by trees.

Here are a few fun facts about bluebells to tell kids:

1. Bluebells are also called ‘fairy flowers.’ According to an old myth, fairies used bluebells to lure and trap people passing by in the woods – especially children. (MacDonald, 2024)

2. Another myth is that if you wear a wreath of bluebells you will be compelled to tell the truth. (MacDonald, 2024)

3. Bees rely heavily on the flowers’ nectar in the spring but sometimes they ‘steal’ it by biting a hole in the bottom of the bell. (MacDonald, 2024)

The Virginia bluebell is a very magical-looking plant. I hope you have the good fortune to come across it on your walks in nature.

Works cited: MacDonald, Kriss; 10 fun facts about bluebells to tell kids, (2024).

https://wildabouthere.com/10-fun-facts-bluebells-tell-kids