Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Squill.
Scilla sieberiana
Pronounced SILL-uh
Also known as Scilla sieberiana, Scilla, Squill, Squills
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Scilla are charming, bulbous perennials that bring early color to the garden. They are quite hardy and naturalize well in lawns or woodland settings. You will love how they pop up as soon as the weather warms.
At a glance
- Care level
- Easy
- Plant type
- Bulbous perennial
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Indoor light
- Bright indirect
- Water
- Every 7 to 14 days
- Mature size
- 6 to 12 inches
- Growth rate
- Medium
Care
Plant your bulbs in well draining soil during the autumn months. Watch for yellowing foliage after flowering, which indicates the bulb is storing energy for next year. Keep the area clear of heavy debris to allow the shoots to emerge easily.
- Watering
- Keep the soil consistently moist during the active growing season but allow it to dry out slightly while the plant is dormant.
- Feeding
- Apply a balanced bulb fertilizer once in the early spring as new growth appears.
- Pruning
- Remove spent flower stalks after blooming, but leave the foliage until it turns yellow and dies back naturally.
- Repotting
- Divide and repot bulbs every few years if they become too crowded or stop flowering well.
- Soil
- Well draining, humus rich soil
- Soil pH
- 6.0 to 7.0
Safety
- Pets
- This plant is toxic to cats and dogs if ingested.
How to identify it
- Clusters of star shaped flowers
- Narrow grass like basal leaves
- Small bulbous root system
- Blue, white, or pink blooms
Problems to watch for
Check your squill from a photo
Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your plant and tells you what's wrong and what to try first.
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Science
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Genus
- Scilla
- Order
- Asparagales
- Class
- Liliopsida
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Also in
Keep your squill growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
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This guide was generated with AI on and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.