Bluebell question - can any Californian answerers help?

Question

It's realism for a piece of fiction in which a man from LA travels to England (which is where I'm based) so could any Californian readers please help me out here?

I know (or at least I'm pretty sure!) that you have trililium lillies in the spring there but I wasn't sure about bluebells - would a man from LA seeing a British bluebell wood recognise it? There is actually a plot point that might hang on whether he knows what the flowers are or not.

I know it's trivial but thanks to anyone that answers!

Answer 1

Hi. I'm in Northern California and I'll tell you my experience....

I suppose it would hinge on how knowledgeable the man is in regards to plants. If you are talking about Hyacinthoides (common bluebell), then I would have to say that around here, they are not that common. I would say plants of the Campanula family would be a more likely candidate for someone to recognize. However, if your character frequents specialty nurseries, arboretums and botanical gardens, he is likely to come across Hyacinthoides and may be able to recognize it. California is a nursery hotbed and there are a lot of places to come across many wonderful plants (I know of tons of places particularly in N. California since that is where I am).

If you can, however, perhaps select a wonderful Campanula and that would seem a bit more likely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campanula

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Blue...

Hope this helps you out some. Best of luck. :)

Answer 2

I live at the base of the Sierra Nevada's and  there is a plant that we see every so often called Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica).  It looks very similar to what you have in England.  If a person is familiar with bluebells here, they would recognise them in England.

Good luck with your story!