Practical
Plants

Scilla scilloides

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Scilla
Height
0.4 m
Spread
0.05 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

Leaves - cooked[1][2]. Bulb[1][2]. No more details are given. The bulb is up to 2cm in diameter[3].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The bulbs are pounded and applied to abscesses[4].

Product or use
Poultice

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Hills and lowland all over Japan[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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[3]. Division of established clumps when the foliage dies down in the summer[3]. 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.

Cultivation

Succeeds in full sun or light shade in a well-drained humus-rich soil with adequate moisture when in growth[3]. The hardiness of this plant varies according to provenance, the hardiest forms tolerate temperatures down to about -15°c[3]. The flowers have a hyacinth-like aroma[5].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  4. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

  5. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  6. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

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