Ah, bluebells – there’s something so enchanting about them, isn’t there? They have such delicate flowers that sway in the breeze. And you can’t help be charmed when seeing the way those beautiful flowers carpet the forest with a sea of blue. And of course their sweet fragrance filling the air.
But did you know that there are many other flowers out there that look an awful lot like bluebells? So if you’re a fan of bluebells you’ll definitely want to check out this list of flowers that look like very similar to them.
Flowers That Look Like Bluebells
Virginia Bluebells
Let’s start with an easy one. Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are native to eastern North America and are often confused with bluebells.
They grow up to two feet tall and have bell shaped flowers that coming in pink to a lavender blue type of color. Their leaves are a bluish green color and are a little bit fuzzy when you touch them.
Virginia bluebells prefer to grow in moist, rich soil and partial shade. They are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 and will naturalize if given the right conditions. They have a sweet and musky scent which makes them very popular with bees and other pollinators.
Grape Hyacinth
Grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) are bulbs that flower in spring and often mistaken for bluebells. They have small, bell like flowers range from blue to purple and are mistaken for bluebells commonly.
The flowers are tightly packed together on a long, thin stem. This makes them look like they a miniature cluster of grapes (that’s where the name comes from).
Grape hyacinths prefer full sun, partial shade and well draining soil. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and are fairly easy to grow. While they’re scent isnt as strong as bluebells it is still delicate and sweet.
Spanish Bluebell
The Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) is a close relative of the English bluebell but with a few notable differences. They have wider leaves than English bluebells and their flowers are come shapes rather than bell. They come white, purple and blue like purple.
Spanish bluebells prefer full sun to partial shade and well draining soil. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 but be warned – they can be a little invasive. So if you are going to plant them do so with care. And they have a lovely, mild yet sweet scent that isn’t as strong as English bluebells.
Wood Hyacinth
Wood hyacinth (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) is another close relative of the English bluebell but again has a few differences. Their leaves are wide and broad with very upright flowers. Those flowers are usually a rich blue or purple color but can also be found in pink and white.
Wood hyacinths prefer full sun to partial shade and well draining soil. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Give them the right conditions and they will happily naturalize as well. And their scent is very similar to bluebells.
Siberian Squill
Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) is a small, hardy bulb. Its flowers are shaped like bells and come in blue, purple and white. They’re often grow as ground cover and their tiny flowers are very similar to bluebells.
Siberian squill prefer full sun to partial shade and well draining soil. They are hardy in USDA zones 2 to 8 and are fairly easy to grow. They don’t have a scent as strong as bluebells but it’s still very sweet and mild.
Lungwort
Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) is a woodland wildflower and is noticeably similar to bluebells. Its flowers look like funnels and come in pink and blue or purple and sometimes both on the same plant. The leaves are spotted with silver and have a rough texture, a combination that is quite unique and different.
Lungwort prefers partial to full shade and moist, well draining soil. They are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 and like many of the flowers featured here they will naturalize if you give them the right conditions. Its scent is also unique, like it’s flowers, and reminiscent of the forest floor with an earthy fragrance.
Blue Eyed Grass
Despite its name blue eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) is not actually a type of grass. It’s a member of the iris family and had small star shaped flowers that come in a bluey-purple type of color. Because their flowers have a sort of bell shape they are often mistaken for bluebells.
Blue eyed grass prefers full sun to partial shade and well draining soil. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and can be grown easily from seed. Even though they have a mild scent they still attract a lot of pollinators.
Blue Flags
Blue flags (Iris versicolor) are a wetland wildflower. They have large flowers that come in a blue/purple shade. The flowers come in a distinctive bell shape and similar to others they can be confused with bluebells. The leaves are long and narrow and the plant can grow up to three feet tall.
Blue flags prefer wet soils and full sun to partial shade. They are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9’and are relatively easy to grow if you give them the right conditions. They are popular with hummingbirds and butterflies because of their sweet scent.
Forget Me Nots
Forget me nots (Myosotis) are already a favorite flower for many. They have similar bell shaped flowers that come in small clusters of blues, pinks and whites.
The flowers are delicate and dimple a lot like bluebells. The leaves are small and round and the plant can grow up to a foot tall.
Forget me nots prefer partial shade and moist, well draining soil. They are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 and will naturalize quite easily. Their scent is like blue less but not as strong.
Bellflowers
Finally we have the aptly named bellflowers (Campanula). Their flowers come in blue, pink and white and again share the bell shape that bluebells have.
The flowers are delicate and papery with leaves that are usually shaped like hearts. The plant itself can grow up to two feet tall.
Bellflowers prefer full sun to partial shade and well draining soil. They are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 and are easy to grow from seed. They’re another one with a scent similar to but not as strong as bluebells.
If you’re a fan of bluebells then you might want to consider adding some of these similar flowers to your garden. As you can see there are a lot of options you can choose from.
They’re all similar and yet have their own unique feel and qualities. They will bring something special to your garden whichever you choose.
