Flowering season 2024

1.5°C, that’s cold, and for once no gray rain clouds, but with a full morning sun, wonderful walking weather to enjoy the forest in spring colors. In the moist, more calcareous places, bear’s garlic (ramsons) creates a white, wavy flower carpet. The young, transparent and fresh green beech leaves still allow sufficient sunlight to reach the bluebells. The fairytale time is not over yet. But every day there are more leaves on the trees. It is worth planning a visit every sunny day. Best during the week, when it is quiet walking, even on a late afternoon. Good walking shoes are recommended.

With only a few warm, sunny spring days, it has not been a wonderful spring so far for the spring bloomers. After the wild daffodils and the wood anemones, the bluebells have now also received several heavy rain showers. And that can be seen in the flowers. There are also bluebells that have already wilted and where the fruit is starting to form. Bear’s garlic or Ramsoms blooms in the moist and calcareous places and, after the wood anemones, provides a second white flower carpet in the forest. Lily of the valley grows in more acidic places. So far, it has not bloomed profusely in the Hallerbos. Here and there you can see beautiful bunches of bell-shaped flowers. Less noticeable because they do not form extensive flower carpets, yellow archangel, spiked rampion, herb-paris, Solomon’s seal, garlic mustard, lords-and-ladies, greater stitchwort, herb-robert and dog violets bloom along the paths. Seedlings of beech, lime, maple and oak grow between all those herbs. The tall beech trees continue to grow leaves and gradually less light will reach the forest floor. It is important to keep an eye on the rain radar. Every sunny day it is worth planning a walk in the woods and enjoying the spring display of colours. Be sure to wear good walking shoes.

Next Saturday afternoon, April 20, it will be the annual ‘Bluebelljogging’, now for the first time ‘Bluebelltrail’ because it is also possible to walk. Please note that it will be a little busier in the forest.

The beautiful, atmospheric fairytale time has now begun in the forest. Every sunny day it is worth visiting the forest and enjoying the exceptional spring splendor while walking. The flowering of the wood anemones is past its peak. There are still beautiful specimens to be found here and there. But due to the warm weekend, the bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) are now the most striking spring bloomers in the forest. Every day more flowers appear and the flower stems stretch so that the flowers grow above the narrow leaves and the blue-purple flower carpet becomes more and more intense. The flanks of the valleys are also gradually turning into a wavy blue sea of ​​flowers. On sunny days, the transparent fresh green leaves of the low beech trees create a unique fairytale atmosphere. Hopefully it will be a bit colder in the coming days because here and there the large, tall beech trees are already growing leaves. Many other beautiful spring flowers are now blooming along the edges of the paths. Bear’s garlic is also starting to bloom and that is very early.

Please note that you are visiting, and are welcome, in a European protected nature reserve with very fragile vegetation. Out of respect for the forest and its inhabitants, please strictly adhere to the accessibility rules and thus help the protection of the forest.

The first really sunny and warm spring day immediately creates a wonderful bluebell scent in the forest. The evolution of the flowering of the bluebells is not the same everywhere. There is a big difference between the plateau of the Observatory, where the wood anemones are still in full bloom, and the plateau of the Valley of Tears, where the bluebells are more in bloom. On the flanks of the valleys, like every year, the flowering evolves slower. It will probably be the last weekend for the combination of wood anemones and bluebells. The flowering of the wood anemones has reached its peak. In the meantime, various spring bloomers have been added: common Solomon’s seal, Herb Paris, greater stitchwort, common dog violet, garlic mustard and wood sorrel, which has its favorite place in the shade under the conifers. Along the edges of the paths, the yellow stars of lesser celandine continue to provide color. The spike-shaped inflorescences of Lords-and-Ladies rise above the large arrow-shaped leaves. The first delicate fresh green leaves appear on the low-growing beech trees. The warm spring sun makes it wonderful to walk and enjoy the forest.

Information about the accessibility of the Hallerbos during the bluebell festival: click here.

Everything is prepared to receive the visitors. Temporary adapted walking maps hang over the permanent information boards. Banners with key accessibility rules and tree banners along the marked bluebell loops should help visitors unfamiliar with the woodland. From April 6 there will also be temporary toilets. The Hallerbos is not a park, sports field or recreational area. It is a European protected nature reserve with rare, vulnerable vegetation. That is why it is only accessible on official paths, even where there are no ropes. The wood anemones remain the most striking spring bloomer. New bluebells appear every day, but only on the plateaus do the blue-purple flowers start to protrude above the narrow green leaves. But even there, most bluebells have yet to form flower buds. The flanks of the valleys are still completely green. If you have to come from far away and come especially for the bluebells, you should wait a little longer. Next Saturday would be the first real day of spring according to the weather forecast. You will especially enjoy the wood anemones and in some places the first bluebells. Due to the many rain showers, the unpaved paths are muddy in a number of places. It is best to wear good waterproof walking shoes or boots and not sports shoes. To fully enjoy the forest, try to come on a dry sunny day. Therefore, consult the rain radar regularly.

The wood anemones lay a beautiful white carpet of flowers in large parts of the forest. But then the sun must also be present, otherwise the flowers will remain closed to keep the pollen dry and when it rains, the pollinators (bumblebees, bees and hoverflies) will not fly through the forest. In the meantime, several spring flowering plants are blooming: cuckoo flower, common dog violet, lords-and-ladies, dog’s mercury and wood sorrel. Leaves emerge on shrubs and low trees: elder, hazel, blackthorn, hornbeam, maple and lime. In the parts of the forest with oaks where many other species also grow, this makes the view more difficult. In the areas with beech trees and on the flanks of the valleys where only bluebells grow, their narrow, still growing leaves are particularly striking and turn the forest floor completely green. There is no blue flower carpet yet. But on the plateaus, which are warmed by the sun all day long, you can already find blooming bluebells. The flower stems have yet to stretch and are still somewhat hidden between the leaves. Every week it is a different experience in the forest. Enjoy the blossoming spring.