Flowering season 2025
Permission for commercial or professional photo shoots, with or without models, or film recordings must be requested via the box office. In the Hallerbos you must always stay on the paths, also when taking pictures and filming. The soil and vegetation are fragile and very sensitive to trampling.
The use of drones is not allowed in the forest.
Lovely weather for a walk in the forest and enjoying the spring colours. A blue-purple carpet of flowers is gradually appearing in the forest. At least on the plateaus. The flanks of the valleys where only bluebells grow remain green, covered by their countless long narrow leaves. The wood anemones with their white, sometimes pink, star-shaped flowers continue to steal the show on sunny days. Young leaves emerge from the buds of the oaks. And young, fresh green, still transparent beech leaves on the smaller beeches contribute to the play of colours above the flowery forest floor. Compared to last year, the flowering of the wild bluebells is slower. Their leaves and flower stem grow by filling their cells with water. And this is much less available at this time than last year due to the long dry period this year. But according to the weather forecast, some rain is coming in the coming days. Not only the bluebells need that. Hopefully there will be a few more sunny days in the coming two weeks. The fairytale time with a purple-blue wavy carpet of flowers in the forest has yet to begin.
The April ‘whims’ are still absent for the time being. An advantage of the dry, sunny period is that the wood anemones continue to bloom beautifully and the flowers are not damaged by heavy rain showers. More and more bluebells are blooming on the plateaus and in a number of places a purple-blue colour is appearing in the forest. Many bluebells have yet to start blooming here too. And of those that are already blooming, not all the flowers in the inflorescence are open yet and the flower stems still have to stretch. As a result, there is no deep blue-purple carpet of flowers in the forest yet. The flanks of the valleys that receive less direct sunlight per day are still green, covered by the long, narrow, dark green bluebell leaves. In the meantime, along the lighter edges, greater stitchwort and garlic mustard are blooming. The leaves of herb-paris are already visible with the flower bud on a stem in the middle. We still have to wait a few days to see the beautiful flower appear. The inflorescence, a slender light green spadix, of ‘lords-and-ladies’ is also visible but not yet ready to attract pollinators. This weekend, the first free shuttle buses will run between Halle station and the forest (more info here). Even though the bluebells are not yet in full bloom, it could already be busy. If you have the opportunity, it is better to come and enjoy the spring colours in the forest on a sunny weekday.
The wood anemones are lucky. In full bloom, they enjoy the spring sun from morning to evening. Where they grow, there is a beautiful white carpet of flowers in the forest. They will certainly remain the most striking spring bloomer in the coming week. More flowering bluebells appear on the plateaus every day. But they are not yet in sufficient numbers and their flower stems are still too short to conjure up a blue sea of flowers in the forest. The small beeches are already getting leaves and provide a fresh green hue between the gray, thicker trunks of their larger counterparts. Hornbeams, lime trees and maples also have young leaves. The forest now looks a little different every day. And with the sunny weather, every walk in the forest in the coming days is a pleasure. If you can, it is best to visit during the week.
The wild daffodils have now finished blooming. The wood anemones are now in full bloom. Especially when the sun is shining, they provide a beautiful white carpet of flowers in large parts of the forest where deciduous trees grow. On the plateaus, which enjoy the first warm spring sun all day long, there are already a few more bluebells in bloom. But they are not yet providing a purple-blue sea of flowers. The flanks of the valleys where bluebells grow are still completely green. Along the edges of the paths where the soil has become somewhat compacted by treading, the yellow star-shaped flowers of celandine provide the spring atmosphere. Less conspicuous spring bloomers that are also blooming in the meantime are dwarf periwinkle and common dog violet. Both have blue flowers. If it remains dry and sunny in the coming days, the wood anemones will certainly be the most conspicuous spring bloomer in the coming week. There will not be a blue carpet of flowers in the forest this weekend. From Saturday, the temporary traffic regulation will be in effect for the next 5 weekends. Please take into account the traffic signs and parking bans. April 12-13 is the first weekend with free shuttle buses from the station in Halle to the forest. More information can be found here.
In the forest edges, the blackthorn blooms with its snow-white flowers. The nectar and pollen of the blackthorn are attractive to early-flying bumblebees, bees, digger bees, flies and butterflies. These ensure pollination. There are still flowering wild daffodils, but the flowering is past its peak. Wood anemones provide a white carpet of flowers in the forest. If it doesn’t rain too hard in the coming days, they will certainly be the most striking spring bloomer in the forest for another 10 days. Especially when the sun is shining, their flowers are fully open. The white petals then concentrate the heat of the sun’s rays to the centre of the flower to attract pollinators. Here and there a flowering wild bluebell appears. But for now it is the long, narrow leaves of the bluebells that stand out. They pierce through the dry beech and oak leaves and colour the forest floor green where no wood anemones grow. Because there are no leaves on the trees yet, this is the ideal time to enjoy the birds in the forest. Be sure to bring binoculars. And as long as it is quiet in the forest, you can, with a bit of luck, meet a roe deer. Please also stay on the hiking trails for them, even where there are no ropes. Practical information about accessibility, parking, toilets and marked walks during the blooming of the hyacinths can be found here.
Snowdrops are blooming. Fortunately, they are resistant to a layer of snow and the frost that will certainly strike. They can handle temperatures down to -30°C. This is thanks to self-made ‘antifreeze’ in their leaves. Starch from the bulb is converted into sugars that act as ‘antifreeze’ in the leaves. Because they bloom so early, snowdrops are not dependent on pollinators to reproduce. Snowdrops reproduce mainly by dividing the bulb. That is why they are often so close together in large numbers. On warm days, a bumblebee may visit and ensure cross-pollination. In the forest edges, the yellow, hanging male catkins of the hazel stand out from far away. They are ready to produce pollen. In the meantime, the beautiful female flowers, with their red stigmas, of the hazel can also be seen. That is a real sign that spring is coming. Young bluebell leaves are starting to pierce through the old dry beech leaves here and there.