Scilla Flowers

Spring Scilla Flowers

Name : Scilla Flowers
Latin Name : Genus: Scilla, (Scilla siberica)
Scilla Description

"Are you ready?" the Snowdrop asked,
"'Tis time to start, you know."
"Almost, my dear!" the Scilla replied,
"I'll follow as soon as you go."

-"Flower Chorus"
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Scilla is a genus comprising of about 90 species of bulbous perennial herbs in the Hyacintheae tribe of the Liliaceae or Lily Family, native to the temperate regions of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Scilla varieties are found naturalizing in woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores across the Old World.

Common names for the Scilla flower include Scilla, Squills, Siberian Squill, Wild Hyacinth, Quamash, Bluebells, Wood Hyacinth, Endymion, and Witches' Thimbles. The common name Squill originates from the Greek name for Sea Squill. While the name Scilla is derived from a Greek word meaning to Excite or Disturb.

Scilla flowers are usually blue in colour, but white, pink, and purple types are also known.

Most Scilla varieties flower in early spring, but a few are autumn-flowering as well. The foliage consists of long, narrow, grass like leaves surrounding taller stalks that bear blue, white, or purple blossoms. Scilla blossoms are tiny, nodding and star-like. The flower stalks of Scilla reach to a height of about 8 inches. Scilla siberica are particularly famous in gardens for their attractive early spring flowers.

Scillas are one of the earliest flowers of spring, and offer a breathtaking display of delicate blossoms throughout the spring. Scilla tolerates dry conditions in summer, though it requires moisture during the growing season. Scilla thrives in full sun to partial shade. Propagation of Scilla varieties is by offsets of the bulb planted in fall. Scilla are known for their tendency of naturalizing quickly and are often found as carpets of amazing blue blossoms, covering large patches of ground. Another specialty of Scilla is that these plants will grow well under deciduous trees, due to their early blooming period. Another attractive feature of Scilla is that it is deer-resistant.

Ants, bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, and beetles also visit the Scilla or wild hyacinth quite frequently. On a May morning, Professor Charles Robertson captured over six hundred insects, from thirty-eight distinct species, on a patch of wild hyacinths in Illinois, all in a single hour.

Scilla varieties are excellent garden plants that do well in tubs and urns as well. They brighten the yard with early spring flowers. Scilla siberica is a small variety effective for rock gardens. It naturalizes well, making it suitable for woodland gardens and makes a good combination when planted with tulips and daffodils. Scilla flowers work well in borders and are also recommended for indoor forcing.

Scilla is a perfect filler flower for all sorts of cut flower arrangements. It has a vase life of 7-10 days and works well in vegetative designs. Use Scilla in arrangement to add a touch of fragrance and a cool tinge of the perfect shade of blue.

Scilla Meaning

The beautiful Bluebells or Scilla flower symbolizes Everlasting Love, Humility, Constancy, Gratitude, and Delicacy. Scilla is also the birthday flower for 30th September.

Scilla flowers have colour specific meanings as well:

A Blue Scilla is used to convey the meaning "Forgive, And Forget."
A White Scilla blossom depicts "Sweet Innocence."

Scilla Mythology

Folklore is full of tales about this enchanting flower, although some of these tales may sound ominous. Bluebells is closely linked to the realm of fairies thus earning the common name "Fairy Thimbles." According to legend, bluebells would be rung in order to call fairies to a convention.

Scilla or Bluebells is commonly known as Harebells in Scotland. The name probably found its origin due to the frequent visits of hares to the fields covered with harebells. According to folklore, witches turned themselves into hares to hide among the flowers.

Bluebells is also known as Dead Man's Bells due to the fact that fairies were believed to cast spells on those who dare to pick or damage the beautiful, delicate blossoms. According to yet another legend, any child picking bluebells alone in the woods would disappear, while an adult would be lead around by a pixie until rescued.

It was also believed that by wearing a wreath made of Scilla or Bluebells, a person would be compelled to speak only truth. Another common belief was that if you could turn a Scilla flower inside out without tearing it, you would eventually win the one you love.

The common name Endymion is also derived from a Greek myth: Endymion was a youth who chose to sleep forever without aging. In some versions of the myth, the moon goddess Selene fell in love with Endymion and every month she visits the cave where he slept, thus accounting for the phases of the moon. Squills are also considered sacred to the goddess Aphrodite or Venus.

Bluebells was not very popular as a decorative plant before the 19th Century and was believed so unlucky that people would not allow it past the threshold.

The famous botanist Linnaeus first called this plant Hyacinthus, associating the flower with the Hyacinth of the Ancients, the flower of Grief and Mourning. In Greek Mythology, Hyacinthus was a charming youth loved by both Apollo and Zephyrus, but Hyacinthus preferred the Sun-God to the God of the West Wind, who grew jealous and sought revenge. One day Apollo was playing quoits with Hyacinthus when a quoit was blown off course by Zephyrus thus killing Hyacinthus. Apollo was stricken with grief and raised from his blood a purple flower, on which the letters Ai, Ai (meaning "alas, alas") were traced, so that his cry of woe would have everlasting existence upon earth. As the native variety of Hyacinths has no trace of these mystic letters, older botanists called it Hyacinthus nonscriptus, meaning 'not written on.' A later name, Agraphis, has a similar meaning, being derived from two Greek words, meaning 'not to mark.'

The English bluebell is also a variety of Scilla. In England, Scilla is dedicated to the Country’s patron saint, St. George (died c. 303).

Although the bulb is poisonous, Scilla flowers can be eaten raw and the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Squill liquid extract is an expectorant used in traditional cough medicines such as Gee?s Linctus.

Medicinally, the bluebell is not used in modern medicine but the plant has had medicinal value in old times. Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) suggests in his poetry that Scilla may have been viewed in the past as a cure for snake bites. Mountain bluebells was considered medicinally valuable by the Cheyenne Indians who took infusion of leaves for treatment of smallpox and measles. Infusion of the whole plant was taken by women after childbirth as it was thought to increase milk flow. Powdered roots were considered a remedy for the itch from smallpox.

Its sticky sap was used like glue in the Middle Ages to secure arrow feathers and in 16th century Elizabethan times the bluebell’s sap was also used as a stiffening agent for the ornate, fluted ruffs. It has also found use in bookbinding in the form of a paste.

A distillation of the bulb was given to choristers by singing masters and it was believed to be able to prevent a boy’s voice from breaking.

Scilla finds literary significance in quite a few works: Scilla is the 'fair-hair'd hyacinth' of Ben Jonson, a name alluding to the old myth; in Elizabethan times Scilla was also known as Jacinth; while in Walton's Angler it is called Culverkeys.

It is believed that the English playwright and poet, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was referring to the English bluebell in Cymbeline when he wrote

................................ thou shalt not lack
The flower that’s like thy face, pale primrose, nor
The azur’d harebell, like thy veins; .............