Plant of the Day: Siberian squill
Photo of Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)

Photo by Mark Kane


Russian Charm


An early riser, Siberian squill blooms right after snowdrops. From a small bulb rise three or four strap-like leaves and several dainty flower stalks that branch to nodding blue flowers with anthers that are darker blue. You have to lie down, chest first, to see the flowers from below. The sight, with the sky for a backdrop, repays embracing the cold, wet ground.


My patch started from ten bulbs that have divided into many more over the last ten years. When the leaves appear, they make a broad green thicket and the flowers that follow almost touch from plant to plant to make a blue canopy that is visible from across the garden.


This is USDA Zone 5 and the bulbs have been flawlessly hardy. By the time the flowers wane, there are still no leaves on the nearby honeylocust to shade the plants, so plenty of sunlight refuels the bulbs. I think the plants have more flower stems and flowers now than they did years ago.


There are other forms of this squill, including a white-flowered cultivar called ‘Alba’ and a deep-blue cultivar called ‘Spring Beauty.' There are also other squills: Scilla bifolia (pale lilac-blue flowers), S. mischtshenckoana (large-flowered, pale blue) and S. peruviana (flowers are violet stars with yellow anthers, gathered in a sphere the size of a softball, Zone 7).


By Mark Kane - the Groundskeeper, YourGardenShow.com

Copyright © 2012 YourGardenShow.com

Want to read more about this plant and other varieties? Click here for the Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) Plant Page!

Plant Photo Tagging - How it Works

Video by Tom Finerty, founder YourGardenShow.com

Plant Photo Tagging allows you to turn any garden photo into a rich tapestry of what you have planted. It’s fun, informative, and helpful to others visiting your garden. As you photo tag, you can easily add plant names from our database and/or make notes about anything you’d like. To get started, sign-in and go to your Garden.


Click on any image in your garden's slideshow Carousel to get to full-view mode. Click on the “Tag” icon just below your photo and you are ready to tag! Simply click and drag your mouse over a plant or area you’d like to highlight or tag. A pop-up box will appear and ask for either a plant name or a note - add one or both, then click “tag” and you’ve just tagged your garden!


Write and tell us your suggestion for a "How it Works" video:
how-it-works@yourgardenshow.com


For more info contact: help@yourgardenshow.com

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Plant of the Day archive

Siberian squill

Snowdrop

Douglas fir

Norway spruce

Common Lilac 'Marie Frances'

Common Lilac 'Wedgwood Blue'

Manchurian lilac 'Miss Kim'

Red mulberry

White spruce

Striped squill

Scotch pine

Frazier fir

Colorado Spruce

Hardy Pecan

Asparagus

Beet

Brussels Sprouts

Globe Artichoke 'Imperial Star'

American Hazelnut

Black Alder

Seven-son flower

European larch

Maidenhair tree

Butterfly weed

Creeping Zinnia

Garlic 'Spanish Roja'

Garlic 'Georgia Fire'

Garlic 'Persian Star'

Garlic 'Asian Tempest'

Aster 'Monch'

Aster 'Purple Dome'

Chrysanthemum

Beans

Corn

Pumpkin

Gourd

Sargent crabapple, Sargent

Gooseberry

Dwarf pear

American chestnut

Parsnip

Black walnut

Potato

Smooth Sumac

Juniper

Clematis - Nelly Moser

Clematis durandii

American elderberry

Russian arbor-vitae

Resurrection lily

Sweet Potato

Sedum

Blackberry

Cucumber

Mache

Japanese falsecypress

Sweet Autumn Clematis

Japanese Anemone

Carrots

Hot Peppers

Cilantro

Okra

Peppers 'Cal Wonder Orange'

'Cherry Pink' Tomatoes