Scilla hyacinthoides

HYACINTH SQUILL

No WA

Scilla hyacinthoides
HYACINTH SQUILL

A group of Scilla hyacinthoides is a joyous sight in spring.
Not permitted for entry to WA

Spires bearing hundreds of intense blue-violet stars

With long, airy towering spires, bearing hundreds of intense blue-violet stars, and each tiny star flower adorned with white bracts.
So the spires of bloom on Scilla hyacinthoides simply shimmer with beauty.
And soar above a neat rosette of narrow, iris-like foliage.

Extremely hardy & very useful

Hyacinth Squill is an extremely hardy, and very useful bulb.
Because it will thrive on the sniff of barest attention, and can be planted in either Sun or 1/2 Shade with equal success.

Happily multiplies to form beautiful drifts

And once planted it will happily multiply to form beautiful drifts.
Hence Scilla hyacinthoides is very popular to plant in low maintenance gardens, amongst trees and shrubs, or further back in the flower border.
Where it can be left to just get on with it all by itself.

Easily grown even in poor soil with little water

Scilla hyacinthoides is also perfectly happy in poorer soils, and actually does better on a lean diet and limited water.
Plus it is also reliably frost hardy down to at least -25°C.
And can tolerate a wide range of soils and pH, as long as the soil is well-drained.

Up & coming commercial cut flower

Much research has been done in Israel to establish Scilla hyacinthoides as a commercial cut flower crop.
Where it has proved outstanding because of it’s beauty, clean stems and ease of harvest, vase life, and water-wise ability to cope in low rainfall areas.
Plus the foliage dies away in summer with little mess, and this hardy bulb remains safely dormant through the heat of summer. So it should not be overwatered at any time.

Scilla hyacinthoides is therefore a hardy bulb.
75cm. showy spring spires of flowers x 30cm. Wide rosette of strappy foliage.
Native to hot and dry areas in the Middle East, southern Europe and northern Africa.

** Please note: This bulb is not recommended for S.A. as it can invade areas of native vegetation in the Adelaide Hills.
** This plant can cause ill effects if eaten.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Seed for Scilla hyacinthoides can be sown at any time indoors except in hot weather.

Sow indoors for mqximum and early plants: First scatter the seed on the surface of good quality potting mix.
Then pat the seeds gently to the surface of the mix to ensure good contact.
Now cover the seeds with 1cm of sieved mix.

Then thoroughly moisten the mix by standing the punnet in a shallow water bath.
And allow the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Cover the punnet with a light proof lid to help maintain moisture and exclude light.
Because these seeds germinate best in the dark.

Now place the dark covered punnet in a warm position.
You can use a heat mat if you have one, and this maintains optimum temperatures.

Temperatures of 15-20°C are best for rapid and optimum germination.
While higher temperatures above 20°C will slow and reduce germination rate.

And continue to keep the punnet moist by misting the surface from a spray water bottle.

Seedlings will then emerge in approx. 7-21 days.
So continue to peek under the dark lid regularly.

Then remove the cover as soon as germination begins and grow the seedings on ready to plant in the garden.

Seed Count: 10 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

Click here for Nursery Open Days & Open Gardens Information
https://www.gardivalia.com.au/open-gardens

Click here to go back to Seeds Shop
https://www.seedscape.net.au/shop/