6 amazing bluebell facts you need to know before you die!

Following on from yesterday's "Blue burst" http://levenshulmedailyphotograph.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/blue-burst.html and clickbait satire aside, here are some interesting facts about the latest baton carrier in the Spring bulb relay, nicked from the National Trust website http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blickling-estate/wildlife/view-page/item1001180/

• Nearly 50% of the world’s bluebells can be found in the UK.
• There are some in western Germany but none in Scandinavia.
• In folklore the bluebell is considered to be the flower of the house goblin.
• Anyone who wears a bluebell is compelled to tell the truth.
• The bluebell is a symbol of constancy and is probably the origin of the '….something blue…' that a bride should wear on her wedding day.
• The bluebell is being studied for its medicinal qualities because it contains things called water-soluble alkaloids that could be useful in developing drugs to fight cancer

As well as the traditional English varieties the Spanish bluebell, a garden escapee, is an increasingly common find in the U.K. You'll also find hybrids of the two and we think the one in the image is either Spanish or a hybrid. Here's how you tell the difference https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=426