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Scilla

Scilla mischtschenkoana (SIL-la miss-tscheng-koh-AY-nuh)

Family: Asparagaceae Non-native

An early spring bulb with showy white flowers in the Lily family. Plant at the base of a tree for a great spring show, or a rock or cottage garden. It can naturalize in a lawn and bloom before the first time the grass needs mowing. It prefers full sun during bloom time and sandy loam but will adapt to other soils if they are well-drained. Foliage goes dormant by summer. Blooms in late winter or early spring, spreads readily and is often planted in lawns as well as rock gardens, under deciduous trees, in shrub borders and flower beds. Looks best massed planted. Quick ID Linear, grass-like leaves Flower scapes with 6 star-shaped white-blue flowers Tepals have outer darker stripe; ovary is superior Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: More information on Scilla .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 44 attributes.

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Bulb
Life cycle
Bulb
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are basal, linear, flat, emerging at flowering. 2.5 to 4 inches long by about 0.4 inches wide.
Flower color
Blue
Flower value
Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
1/2 to 1-inch pale blue to white flowers in a loose, scapose raceme in Feb. to March. 6 petal-like tepals have a darker blue center vein.
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
S. Transcaucasus to NW. Iran
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Naturalized Area; Small Space
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Mass Planting
Garden tags
#rabbit resistant #rock garden #showy flowers #low maintenance #edging #mass planting #cottage garden #fantz #naturalizes #spring flowering bulbs
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Narcissus Bulb Fly
Resistant to
Deer; Rabbits

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.