Sunshine Farm and Gardens: Glick Pick Archives: Scilla scilloides

Sunshine Farm and Gardens

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Scilla scilloides

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As far as Scillas go, Scilla scilloides is one of my favorites. A native of the lowlands of Japan and China and blooming late August through September, these 8" - 10" tall pink pom poms are perfect at the front of the perennial border. I've grown her in full shade to full sun and performance is virtually identical. The 8" - 10" long, supple, shiny strapping foliage holds up well all the growing season. Setting copious amounts of small, black seeds, a colony will soon naturalize itself, These seedlings will take one to three years to reach maturity and flower. Division is also a natural option as many new bulbs are produced each year and the largest percentage of these gifts will flower the following year. Division can be done almost anytime of growing season as long as the replantings are kept moist until they're established.

Subscribers have asked me to include hardiness information, which can be nebulous and misleading at best. I can issue this standard disclaimer: If it grows on top of this godforsaken mountain, where it can get down to -27 Farenheit, it should be fine almost anywhere. We do get a pretty reliable snow cover, and we don't pamper anything.

UH-OH-May need a little help here. After I wrote the above blurb about Scilla scilloides, I started to do a little deeper research. I'd been growing this plant for many years, and since the original seeds came from a reliable friend and knowledgeable plantsman in Japan, had never questioned its identity. Now after looking at a few different pictures on the web, I have some slight doubts. Thought the plant seems very variable, as the pictures seem to go, ours is somewhat different, not only in color, but in stature also.

Soooo, if ANYONE can contribute any additional information here, I' love to hear from you.

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Barry Glick, Sunshine Farm and Gardens
696 Glicks Rd, Renick, WV 24966, USA
Phone: (304) 497-2208
E-mail: barry@sunfarm.com

Last modified February 25, 2020
URL: https://www.sunfarm.com/picks/scillascilloides-123501.phtml