Five Very Rare White Bluebells Discovered At Bryngarw

Five very rare white bluebells have been discovered at Bryngarw Country Park in Brynmenyn, near Bridgend. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The ‘albino’ flowers lack the pigment that gives bluebells their traditional purplish blue colour and only occur once in around 10,000 flowers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A single flower was found in Bryngarw’s Nature Garden, an area normally used by school groups, and four others were seen in the woodlands. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Keith Douglas, Senior Ranger at Bryngarw Country Park, said: “White native bluebells are incredibly uncommon and we are excited to have found at least five of them growing in Bryngarw. Please don’t pick them. Nature loves to surprise and there are always discoveries to be made, so we would encourage everyone to venture outdoors and enjoy the beautiful countryside we are fortunate to have right on our doorstep.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The UK is home to almost half of the world’s population of bluebells (Hyacinthoides nonscripta) and since 1998 it has been illegal to collect native bluebells from the wild for commercial purposes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​