Siberian squill

Siberian squill: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small bulb, 10–15 cm tall, with two to four leaves and a few flower stems per bulb.

Leaves

Narrow, strap-shaped and glossy green; appear with the flowers and die back in May–June.

Flower

One to five nodding, star-shaped bells per stem in March and April. Deep bright blue; white in ‘Alba’.

Bulb

Small and round, 1–2 cm, with a dark skin. Produces offsets and, in time, small clumps.

Seed

Round seed capsules with black seeds, which are spread by ants, among others.

Flowering: March–April · Plants: September–November

Why grow it?

• One of the first to flower: in March it colours the garden bright blue, alongside crocuses and snowdrops.
• An early source of food for bees and bumblebees; their loads of blue pollen are easy to spot.
• Naturalises on its own: it self-seeds and forms a blue carpet within a few years.
• Ideal under deciduous trees and shrubs and in lawns: it flowers before the leaf canopy closes.
• Small, cheap and indestructible; also lovely in a pot or window box with other spring bulbs.

Siberian squill: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; under deciduous trees it gets enough light in spring.
• Any ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky, as long as water does not stand.
• Moist in spring; in summer the soil may be dry, as the bulb is then dormant.
• In lawns, under shrubs, in borders or a rock garden; plant groups of 25 or more for effect.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.15 m tall, 0.05 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Snowdrop: Flowers just before it and naturalises in the same places under trees.
• Crocus: Purple and yellow crocuses flower at the same time next to the bright blue.
• Daffodil: Small yellow daffodils give a fresh yellow and blue contrast.
• Lenten rose: Large flowers in the same partial shade, with the squill as a blue carpet at their feet.
• Ferns: Take over the spot when the squill disappears in summer.

Siberian squill: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

1. Plant the bulbs from September to November, preferably as early as possible, as these small bulbs dry out quickly.
2. Plant them 8 cm deep, pointed end up.
3. Space them 5–8 cm apart, in loose groups or scattered for a natural look.
4. In a lawn: lift a piece of turf, place a group of bulbs underneath and replace the turf, or use a bulb planter.
5. Firm the soil and water if it is dry.

Care

Water

Usually not needed: autumn and spring rain is enough. In a pot, keep the compost lightly moist.

Feeding

Not needed in ordinary garden soil. On poor soil, scatter a little compost in February.

Leaves

Let the leaves yellow after flowering; this is how the bulb rebuilds its reserves for next year.

Mowing

Only mow the grass six weeks after flowering, when the leaves have yellowed, usually from mid-May.

Self-seeding

If you want it to self-seed, do not remove the spent flowers.

Tip: Plant it under deciduous trees or in grass and let it get on with it: within a few years it forms a bright blue carpet on its own. Only mow once the leaves have yellowed.

Siberian squill: when to prune it?

When: Siberian squill is not pruned. After flowering, simply leave it alone.

How:

• Leave the spent flowers so that it sets seed and spreads itself.
• Let the leaves yellow completely and only remove them when they come away on their own.
• If you do not want seedlings, cut off the spent stems in April, but leave the leaves.

Caution: Do not mow or cut the leaves while they are still green: the bulb needs them to flower next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

It self-seeds freely. You can also sow it yourself: scatter ripe seed in June where it is to grow, or in a pot left outdoors. Seedlings flower after a few years.

Division

Lift crowded clumps in June, once the leaves have died back, or in September. Separate the offsets and replant them straight away.

Siberian squill: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy to about −30 °C: in Belgium no protection is needed.
• It even needs winter cold to flower well in spring.
• In a pot or trough: keep it outdoors in a sheltered spot so that the compost does not become waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• No flowers: The leaves were mown too early, or the bulbs are too crowded or under evergreens. Let the foliage die back and divide crowded clumps.
• Dried-out bulbs: Bulbs left lying around too long fail to come up. Buy them in September and plant them at once.
• Slugs: In a wet spring they sometimes eat the leaves and flowers. Pick them off in the evening.
• Too many seedlings: In a tidy border it pops up everywhere. Cut off the stems with seed capsules after flowering.

Through the year

• February: The first leaf tips appear.
• March: Flowering. Bees collect nectar and blue pollen.
• April: Flowering. If you do not want seedlings, cut off the spent stems.
• May: Let the leaves yellow. Do not mow around the bulbs yet.
• June: Foliage has died back: you can mow now. Divide crowded clumps.
• September: Plant new bulbs, 8 cm deep.
• October: Plant in grass or borders.
• November: Last chance to plant.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of squills and glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa, now included in Scilla) are poisonous, especially the small bulbs: they can cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in children as well as in dogs and cats. The bulbs look like little onions: never store them with the vegetables or the kitchen onions, and keep loose bulbs out of reach of children and pets. They seed themselves freely, in borders, under shrubs and in the lawn: do not plant them where your dog digs, and do not let horses, sheep or goats graze where they grow in large drifts. Wash your hands after planting. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Its pollen is blue: in March you can sometimes see bees with blue pollen loads on their legs.
• The seeds carry a nutritious appendage that ants carry off; this is how the plant spreads through the garden.
• Despite the name ‘siberica’, it does not grow wild in Siberia, but in southern Russia, the Caucasus and Turkey.