Scientific Name
Scilla hyacinthoides L.
Common Name(s)
Hyacinth Squill, Hyacinth Bluebell
Synonym(s)
Epimenidion hyacinthoides, Lagocodes hyacinthoides, Nectaroscilla hyacinthoides, Prospero hyacinthoideum, Scilla eriophora, Scilla parviflora
Scientific Classification
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Tribe: Hyacintheae
Subtribe: Hyacinthinae
Genus: Scilla
Origin
Scilla hyacinthoides is native to the Middle East, though it was also brought to France by the Turks.
Flower
Color: Blue
Bloom Time: Early to mid-spring
Description
Scilla hyacinthoides is a bulb plant that produces clumps of up to 2 inches (5 cm) wide bulbs with 10 to 12 green leaves. In early to mid-spring appear the up to 3 feet (90 cm) long, many-flowered, spike-like racemes bearing blue, star-shaped flowers with white bracts. Leaves are up to 1.5 feet (45 cm) long and up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 7a to 9b: from 0 °F (−17.8 °C) to 30 °F (−1.1 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Scilla is adapted to full sun or dappled shade and likes well-drained soil. It naturally grows in rocky wooded areas, so it is just at home in dryish semi-wild parts of the landscape as it is in a rich, moist garden bed. Bulbs should be planted in the fall. Plant the bulbs in loose soil three to four inches deep and 8 inches (20 cm) apart with the tapered end pointed up. Scilla should receive regular water during the spring flush of growth. However, since the weather tends to be cool and moist during this time, it is generally unnecessary to irrigate. In fact, it is important not to overwater, as the bulbs can rot.
The foliage should be left after the flowers fade, though it, too, fades in the heat of summer. Once Scilla leaves are all yellow, they may be cut to the ground, and the plant is allowed to remain dormant until the following spring. It is important that the bulbs not be watered during the dormant period.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Scilla.
Links
- Back to genus Scilla
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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