A RARE white bluebell has bloomed in abundance at a National Trust property in Co Armagh.
The Trust has been sharing photos of bluebells from its properties, including images of the rarer white bluebell found in abundance at Derrymore House in Bessbrook.
This year, the displays are more vibrant than ever with fewer of these delicate plants being crushed underfoot as people follow government guidance and exercise locally.
Rosemary Mulholland, National Trust Ranger at Derrymore, said: "Bluebells usually bloom in late April or early May and can carpet the floor of a wood, filling it with a beautiful, delicate scent and providing much needed nectar for bees, butterflies and other insects.
"Our native bluebell is a lovely dark, violet blue, with a drooping head and flowers that hang down on one side of the stem. They are often associated with ancient or long-established woodland and it can take up to five years for a bluebell bulb to develop from a seed.
"Very occasionally, within a population of bluebells, a genetic mutation may occur, which results in a white flowered bluebell. It is estimated that the proportion of blue to white flowered bluebells is 10,000:1".
