Bluebells & Buds questions

[THOaken]

I'm lucky enough to live in an area completely covered in woodland, some of it quite extensive, and I walked into one of those woods, to which I hadn't been since Winter(I frequent other woods more often), to find it completely carpeted by bluebells. A beautiful sight, but why are there only Bluebells in this one woodland and not the five others in my local area? I'm not sure what it could be as all the woods are near in location and soil type I presume.

Also, I've just realised I don't know the answer to what could be a very simple and elementary question. I've noticed that Beech leaves are out on some trees, but not on others? Why is it that one Beech can have its leaves and one right next to it cannot? I would guess that it's to do with maturity of the tree, but they both looked mature to me. And I can safely say the Beech next to the one with leaves wasn't dead.

 

[THOaken]

Sorry, I've just realised I posted this in the wrong section.

 

[Toddy]

I moved it

Sometimes it's something as simple as someone planted bulbs in one woodland, and no one did in another.

They are very, very easily transplanted though.... however, I think it might be illegal to dig them up there. That said, if they're left alone and the seed heads allowed to ripen, then it's but a moments work to gather a handful of the round black pea like seeds and scatter them someplace suitable for them to grow. They'll come up the first year like short chives, and then those that get enough light will just grow bigger bulbs until the year they start to flower

atb,
M

 

[THOaken]

And do you know why some leaves of a tree species appear before others of the same species in Spring? I can't seem to find an answer to that despite its being a fairly basic question. I'm surprised I don't know it. I can't figure out why one Beech, for example, would have its leaves and one right next to it wouldn't.

Thanks

 

[ozzy1977]

Genetic variation.

 

[Toddy]

Indeed

Two sycamores, side by side outside the back fence. One's opening up green and the other's just thinking of making fat buds.
My rowan tree has it's first leaves out, but the one in a neighbour's garden still looks dead.

M

 

[THOaken]

Well that makes sense. It's just one of those things I never thought about.

But Spring is such a lovely time... It always feels so short and Winter so long.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Toddy]

This last winter seemed never ending it wasn't even that cold, it was just so dreich, so wet, so constantly overcast.
The longer days and evenings are a delight

M

 

[Leigh Robinson]

Bluebells are a good indicator of ancient woodland. So if they are widespread throughout the wood it's a good sign that wood has been around for a long time. Carpets of bluebells takes a long time to build up. So the wood could've been around in one form or another for centuries. The other woods may have been cleared a few times destroying the bluebells.

This also goes for Dogs Mercury, if its about, that's a good sign you are in an old woodland.

I learned that, as I have an interest in woodland ecology and got hold of an ecology report for one my favorite woods. Bit of a geek when it comes to that.

 

[Harvestman]

Just natural variation, in the same way that I don't look like my neighbour, and have different habits and preferences to him.

For woodlands and bluebells, it may also be down to how the woods were managed in the past, which would affect the amount of cover and shade etc, which might favour bluebells in one wood but not another.