Scilla

Scilla armena

This is a siberica relative originally (1981) from 2,000m up on the Zigana pass in cold northern Turkey.

A very attractive dwarf subject with one to three large flowers of china-blue striped with much deeper blue along the centre of each petal. There are three, 10cm tall, scapes on each bulb normally. The flowers are more open than siberica, imagine an umbrella rather than a bell.

Good in cold gardens, good drainage with a moist summer, or pot and appreciate it close up (the picture is a close-up by the way).

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Scilla autumnalis

Dense spikes of purple-blue flowers appear suddenly in August, one day it is summer, next day they are there.

Easy here and hardy in spite of its reputation it seems to survive cold well. In one garden I know, it stands incredible neglect, (it grows there in a silt-filled bird-bath!) yet still flowers each Summer.

Scilla autumnalis latifolia

A form with short, broad leaves and good sized, symmetrical, pink-purple flowers borne as late as November in the wild, but earlier in cultivation here.

The flowers are amongst the largest for the species, pleasingly broad-petalled and even and symmetrical in appearance.

Flowering is, as a rule, later than the type and October seems typical here. This asks for now more than a sunny site and a loamy, well-drained soil with a dry summer rest.

Nursery stock, originally from Southern Greece.

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Scilla bifolia Norman Stevens

This was originally found, by Norman Stevens and the late Vic Horton, in Turkish Kurdistan. This is the eastern end of the range of the species, where it becomes very variable, indeed several variants have been described as new species from there.

The plant has the normal two leaves implied by the name but is remarkable for having flowers which have not six petals, but between eight and twelve, in addition to which some of the anthers are petalloid. In effect this is a double Scilla bifolia. It has the added bonus of an incredible deep purple-blue colouring, totally unlike any other Scilla.

Each bulb can make two scapes 6-8cm tall with 3-5 flowers on each. A truly remarkable variant and an excellent plant which we only rarely have to offer.

Easy to grow in a well-drained soil, not too dry in summer. Slow to increase and very sparing with its seed.

For more details, when it gained its P.C. - Bull Alp.Gdn.Soc. 68 (pp226) June 2000.

Scilla bifolia taurica

Originally found in Crimea, Baidar valley, growing in oak woodland, at 800m in 1983.

This is a particularly vigorous variety with surprisingly large racemes with up to 20 starry, deep blue flowers. Good for naturalising, eventually seeding itself prolifically.

Scilla caucasica

Another species which has the general overall shape of the lovely siberica, but this Caucasian species has larger flowers and more of them on each compact raceme and they are of an especially intense and attractive blue.

A lovely mountain plant very hardy and well worthy of cultivation. Happy in a sunny, well-drained spot in the open garden.

Photograph copyright © A.M.D. Hoog, with permission.

Scilla cilicica

This is unusual in making its leaves in the autumn but its flowers in the spring. These are good-sized, blue stars with a hint of violet and have petals which do not reflex back as they do in some related species. The depth of blue is variable in the species but no forms that I have seen are bad.

This has acquired a false reputation for lack of hardiness, I say 'false' as our mother stock was raised in the harsh continental climate of central Europe before it moved to Wales and it is doing just as well here! Well drained sunny spot.

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Scilla hohenackeri

Sometimes confused with S. greilhuberi but altogether a better garden plant, less 'leafy' and not leafing up until spring when new foliage sits below spikes of quite large, pendulous, reflexed blooms of light indigo.

A native of Caspian woodlands of Iran but happy here and, I suspect, with you, in a light well-drained soil with some humus matter if you can.

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Scilla japonica

scilloides

This is an unusual species with slender, willowy spikes of tiny flowers early in the autumn. The spikes are long and can remain in flower for some time as the 'ring' of fully open flowers proceeds up the spike. The flowers are in a delicate shade of pinky-purple, rather than Scilla blue.

This is an early bulb and flowering begins in the first days of autumn. We would normally have to send them out separately, in July, to get them to you in time. Instead we sell them as less-than-flowering-size. Bulbs at this size can be safely sent and planted with the other autumn-planted bulbs, but this keeps their cost down and by the time they are next due to flower, they will be big enough and they will flower with you, not in our packing shed!

Garden soil, light shade, good drainage and not difficult.

Scilla libanotica

Clearly a plant of the sibirica alliance, but distinct in having 2.5cm sky-blue flowers a little like mischtschenkoana (tubergeniana).

The plant is small, just 10cm tall at flowering time, with up to 4, sideways-facing (not hanging) flowers of sky-blue with narrow segments faintly lined deeper but contrasting with intense violet anthers. A lovely newcomer to specialist collections.

A stock raised from seed of plants collected by the Wallises at Tarchich, east of Beirut in shady rock crevices.

Scilla lilio-hyacinthus

This is capable of carpeting the ground with attractive foliage and flowers, yet it is never invasive.

It makes strap-shaped, prostrate foliage below spikes of pure blue flowers on 25cm stems, in April/May. By late July the whole plant has died back to a lily-like, scaled bulb (hence its name) and there it stays until the following March.

Well mannered and very useful in the right spot where it can be given light, leafy half shade. Very hardy.

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Scilla lilio-hyacinthus albus

By far the best white form available, sent to us many years ago by the late David Russell This has freely produced pure white flowers on 20cm stems in April.

Associates well with woodland plants and likes cool 'woodsy' soils rich in leaf matter, but with good drainage. Here it will gently spread to make a nice deciduous ground cover which also makes flowers!

Scilla morrisii

Scilla morrisii was described in 1976 and known only from one small area in Cyprus. It has deep purple-black bulb tunics and long leaves. These are made in autumn but are still present with the flowers in March-April.

There are one to three flowers per 20cm stem and these are bells of pale pink-purple rather than typical Scilla blue. Very unusual and for such a rare plant, remarkably easy to grow in a well drained sunny spot, where it will make good growth and offsets without becoming a weed.

Cultivated stock traceable to Ayos Neophytos in Cyprus, which came to us via Bern Botanic Gardens in Switzerland.

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Scilla siberica Boreas

Originally found by Platon Otstavnoi in central European Russia this is a wonderful deep blue clone which has black anthers and black pollen, making it very different in appearance. The leaves are pale green below the 15cm stem. Flowering begins in January and continues over a long period, until March, often with several scapes being borne on each bulb.

This is an excellent plant for naturalising as it will, if happy, flower and seed prolifically.

Scilla siberica Enem

This was originally found by Viktor Korolev in the Krasnodar District, of southern Russia, growing in the shade of mixed deciduous woods with oak, beech and elm near the village of Enem, at 50-200m.

It is more evenly blue than the usual forms, lacking any white at the base of the flower (in the throat). Very early, this is often in flower the last week of January. Height 10-15 cm.

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