Scilla scilloides

Family: Hyacinthaceae

What it is like

Scilla scilloides is a BULB growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.4

Where it is found

Hills and lowland all over Japan.

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Leaves - cooked. Bulb. No more details are given. The bulb is up to 2cm in diameter.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The bulbs are pounded and applied to abscesses.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating:

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Succeeds in full sun or light shade in a well-drained humus-rich soil with adequate moisture when in growth. The hardiness of this plant varies according to provenance, the hardiest forms tolerate temperatures down to about -15°c. The flowers have a hyacinth-like aroma.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Sow the seed thinly and allow the seedlings to remain in the pot for their first year of growth, giving them liquid feeds if necessary. Prick out the young bulbs, 2-3 to a pot, when dormant and grow them on for their next two years in a frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions when dormant. Division of established clumps when the foliage dies down in the summer. The larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out when dormant in late summer.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

S. sinensis. (Lour.)Merrill.