Skip to main content
Home

Information for:

  • Alumni
  • Applicants
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • Parents
  • Job Vacancies
  • Covid-19
  • Cymraeg
My country:

Main Menu

    • Clearing 2025
      • Clearing Courses
      • Apply Online
      • Call our Clearing Helpline
      • Clearing Live Chat
      • Offer Holder Hub
      • Book Clearing Open Day
    • Accommodation
      • Accommodation Guarantee
      • Find Your Perfect Room
    • About us
      • Virtual Tour
      • Why study in North Wales
      • Our Location
      • Student Clubs and Societies
      • Student Life
      • Reasons to study locally

    Clearing Open Days

    • Undergraduate
      • A–Z of Courses
      • Subject Areas
      • Clearing 2025
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Offer Holders' Hub
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarship and Bursaries
      • Widening Access
      • Study in Welsh
      • Part-Time Study
      • Degree Apprenticeships
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Work Experience
      • Student Accommodation
      • Pocket Prospectus
      • Academic Calendar
    • Postgraduate Taught
      • A-Z of Courses
      • Subject Areas
      • How to Apply
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarships and Bursaries
      • Executive Education
      • January Start
      • Part-Time Study
      • Short Courses and CPD
      • A-Z of Short Courses and CPD
    • Postgraduate Research
      • A-Z of Courses
      • Subject Areas
      • How to Apply
      • Funding
      • The Doctoral School

    Find a Course

    Clearing 2025

    Offer Holders' Hub

    Order a Pocket Prospectus

    Open Days

    Virtual Tour

    • Student Life
      • Student Life Home
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Social Life and Entertainment
      • Student Accommodation
      • Clubs and Societies
      • Sport
      • Virtual Tour
      • Videos and Vlogs
    • Your Experience at Bangor
      • Welcome 2024
      • Student Support
      • Skills and Employability
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Fees and Finances
      • Student Ambassadors

    Student Profiles

    Student Videos and Vlogs

    Welcome Week

    Virtual Tour

    • Choose Bangor
      • International Home
      • Why Bangor?
      • Location
      • Accommodation
      • Student Support
      • Contact Us
      • Bangor University's China website
    • Apply
      • Entry Requirements
      • Tuition Fees and Scholarships
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Study Abroad (Incoming)
      • Exchanges (Incoming)
      • Worldwide Partners

    Clearing 2025

    Country Specific Information

    Bangor University International College

    Find a Course

    • Research
      • Research Home
      • About Our Research
      • Research in our Academic Schools
      • Research Institutes and Centres
      • Research Portal
      • Integrated Research and Impact Support (IRIS) Service
      • Energy
      • REF 2021
      • Research News
    • Postgraduate Research Opportunities
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Doctoral School
    • Events and Training Opportunities
      • Researcher Development

    Royal Recognition: 2023 Queen's Anniversary Prize

    Bangor Research In Top 30 For Societal Impact In UK

    • The University
      • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Strategy 2030
      • Annual Report & Financial Statements
      • Our Location
      • Academic Schools and Colleges
      • Services and Facilities
      • Vice-Chancellor's Office
      • Working with Business
      • Working with the Community
      • Sustainability
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Contact Us
    • Working for Us
      • Job Vacancies
    • University Management and Governance
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
      • Management and Governance
    • University and the Community
      • Pontio
      • Sports Facilities
      • Conference Facilities
      • Places to Eat and Drink
      • Public Events
      • Widening Access
      • Services to Schools
    • Business Services
      • Business Services Home
    • Collaboration Hub
      • Collaboration Hub
    • Conferencing and Business Dining
      • Conferencing Facilities
      • Business Dining
    • Intellectual Property (IP) and Commercialisation
      • Intellectual Property (IP) and Commercialisation
    • News
      • Current News
      • Research News
      • Student News
    • Events
      • Events
    • Announcements
      • Flag Announcements

    140th Anniversary

    Public Lectures

    • Clearing 2025
      • Clearing Courses
      • Apply Online
      • Book Clearing Open Day
      • Call our Clearing Helpline
      • Clearing Live Chat
      • Offer Holder Hub
    • Accommodation
      • Accommodation Guarantee
      • Find Your Perfect Room
    • About us
      • Virtual Tour
      • Why study in North Wales
      • Our Location
      • Student Clubs and Societies
      • Student Life
      • Reasons to study locally

    Clearing Open Days

    • Undergraduate
      • A–Z of Courses
      • Subject Areas
      • Clearing 2025
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Offer Holders' Hub
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarship and Bursaries
      • Widening Access
      • Study in Welsh
      • Part-Time Study
      • Degree Apprenticeships
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Work Experience
      • Student Accommodation
      • Pocket Prospectus
      • Academic Calendar
    • Postgraduate Taught
      • A-Z of Courses
      • Subject Areas
      • How to Apply
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarships and Bursaries
      • Executive Education
      • January Start
      • Part-Time Study
      • Short Courses and CPD
      • A-Z of Short Courses and CPD
    • Postgraduate Research
      • A-Z of Courses
      • Subject Areas
      • How to Apply
      • Funding
      • The Doctoral School

    Find a Course

    Clearing 2025

    Offer Holders' Hub

    Order a Pocket Prospectus

    Open Days

    Virtual Tour

    • Student Life
      • Student Life Home
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Social Life and Entertainment
      • Student Accommodation
      • Clubs and Societies
      • Sport
      • Virtual Student Experience
      • Videos and Vlogs
    • Your Experience at Bangor
      • Welcome 2024
      • Student Support
      • Skills and Employability
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Fees and Finances
      • Student Ambassadors

    Student Profiles

    Student Videos and Vlogs

    Welcome Week

    Virtual Tour

    • Choose Bangor
      • International Home
      • Why Bangor?
      • Location
      • Accommodation
      • Student Support
      • Contact Us
      • Bangor University's China website
    • Apply
      • Entry Requirements
      • Tuition Fees and Scholarships
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Study Abroad (Incoming)
      • Exchanges (Incoming)
      • Worldwide Partners

    Clearing 2025

    Country Specific Information

    Bangor University International College

    Find a Course

    • Research
      • Research Home
      • About Our Research
      • Research in our Academic Schools
      • Research Institutes and Centres
      • Research Portal
      • Integrated Research and Impact Support (IRIS) Service
      • Energy
      • REF 2021
      • Research News
    • Postgraduate Research Opportunities
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Doctoral School
    • Events and Training Opportunities
      • Researcher Development

    Royal Recognition: 2023 Queen's Anniversary Prize

    Bangor Research In Top 30 For Societal Impact In UK

    • The University
      • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Strategy 2030
      • Annual Report & Financial Statements
      • Our Location
      • Academic Schools and Colleges
      • Services and Facilities
      • Vice-Chancellor's Office
      • Working with Business
      • Working with the Community
      • Sustainability
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Contact Us
    • Working for Us
      • Job Vacancies
    • University Management and Governance
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
      • Management and Governance
    • University and the Community
      • Pontio
      • Sports Facilities
      • Conference Facilities
      • Places to Eat and Drink
      • Public Events
      • Widening Access
      • Services to Schools
    • Business Services
      • Business Services Home
    • Collaboration Hub
      • Collaboration Hub
    • Conferencing and Business Dining
      • Conferencing Facilities
      • Business Dining
    • Intellectual Property (IP) and Commercialisation
      • Intellectual Property (IP) and Commercialisation
    • News
      • Current News
      • Research News
      • Student News
    • Events
      • Events
    • Announcements
      • Flag Announcements

    140th Anniversary

    Public Lectures

Information for:

  • Alumni
  • Applicants
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • Parents
  • Job Vacancies
  • Covid-19
My country:

Search

Close

Breadcrumb

  • Cymraeg

Share this page:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Bloomageddon: seven clever ways bluebells win the woodland turf war

This article by Vera Thoss, Lecturer in Chemistry, Bangor University was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. 

The appearance of vivid bluebell carpets in British woodlands is a sure and spectacular sign of spring. Bluebells – Hyacinthoides non-scripta (L.) Chouard ex Rothm – are Britain’s favourite wildflower and particularly fine carpets attract visitors to well-known sites such as Kew Gardens in London and Coed Cefn in Powys, Wales.

'This is our patch.''This is our patch.'Bluebells also form carpets without a wooded canopy – for example, on Skomer Island in Wales – and point to the locations of ancient forests, long after the trees themselves have vanished. This is because, unlike trees, bluebells have most of their biomass and reproductive organs (the bulb) below ground where they are better protected.

They certainly are worth treasuring. It is estimated that Britain is home to half the world’s population of bluebells. But they are now threatened by the introduction of the related Spanish bluebell, (Hyacinthoides hispanica), leading to hybridisation and loss of habitat. Once removed, it takes decades to establish a population of bluebells large enough to create the characteristic carpets.

They are beautiful flowers, but have you ever wondered how bluebells pull off an even more impressive feat: being in their flowering prime when other plants have only just started to grow? Here are seven of their cleverest tricks.

1) The cold triggers growth: While most plants require a number of hours above a certain temperature before they start growing again, bluebells are dormant during the heat of the summer. Instead, their seeds are triggered to germinate when the temperature drops below 10°C, allowing them to get a vital head start and be in full bloom when spring finally arrives.

2) They dig deep: Bluebells have contractile roots, which pull the bulb deeper and deeper into the soil with every year of growth. This protects the bulb from frost, which starts from the soil surface, and temperature fluctuations, and provides better access to water in drought conditions.

Cool customer: bluebells start growing when the temperature falls.Cool customer: bluebells start growing when the temperature falls.3) They use fructans as reserve carbohydrates: While most plants use glucose and build starch or cellulose, bluebells predominantly convert sunlight into fructose, from which they build fructans. This adaptation allows them to photosynthesise at temperatures below 10°C. The plant’s large bulb comprises up to 70% fructans, which fuels their winter growth.

Fructans also serve another purpose, minimising the formation of new cells and causing existing cells to elongate instead. This is an advantage because the plants can grow without biosynthesising all the material needed to make new cells. You can see the effects of this by looking at a bluebell’s leaves: at first, they are firm and upright, but gradually lose their rigidity as the cells elongate.

4) They spear through any obstacles: The leaves that emerge from the bulb are as close to each other as possible and shaped like a spear with a small, sharp tip. This allows them to find their way through any obstacle – both below and above ground. When the leaves start emerging in mid-winter, there tends to be a lot of dead leaf matter and other detritus lying on the forest floor. Having an arsenal of little spears is critical for punching your way through this into the sunlight.

Bloomin’ clever

 Bluebells at the base of an old oak tree. Shutterstock

5) They cooperate: Bluebells are known to cooperate with mycorrhiza – symbiotic fungi. The fungi obtains carbon from the bluebell in exchange for nutrients, particularly phosphorus. Both parties win, thanks to their use of a wood wide web.

6) …and compete: Phosphorus is an important resource for plants – and bluebells “know” it. As well as securing their supply of it with the help of mycorrhiza, they also restrict the supply available to other plants. They do this by storing phosphorus in the form of phytate, which can only be converted into a usable form with specialised enzymes. so they take up more than they need thus depriving other plants?

7) They shape their surroundings: Bluebells engineer the soil and their environment to optimally support their own kind while making it harder for other species to grow. As well as storing phosphorus in the form of phytate, and using fructans instead of glucose-based polymers, they quite literally win the turf war by carpeting the space above ground.

Publication date: 10 April 2017

Home

  • News
    • Latest News
    • News Archive
    • Events
Home

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn

Bangor University

Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, UK

+44 (0)1248 351151

Contact Us

Visit Us

Maps & Directions

Policy

  • Legal Compliance
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015 Statement
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy and Cookies
  • Welsh Language Policy
Map

Bangor University is a Registered Charity: No. 1141565

© 2020 Bangor University