Siberian squill
Siberian squill flowers.
* Common name: Siberian squill
* Botanical name: Scilla siberica
* What it is: A low-growing, April-blooming bulb that produces bell-shaped hanging flowers of deep, cobalt blue. Like daffodils, plants go dormant in late spring but return reliably early each spring.
* Size: Grows about 3 to 4 inches tall and spreads slowly.
* Where to use: Makes an excellent early-spring blooming groundcover when planted in a mass under trees or at the base of shrubs. Also makes a nice edging along walkways, water gardens or the front of flower beds.
* Care: Best planted October into early November. Fertilize in early fall with a balanced or high-phosphorus bulb food, such as Bulb-tone or Bulb Booster. Cut plants to ground after they yellow in late spring if you’re a neatnick or simply let the leaves brown and fade away into the mulch if you’re not. Optional: Bulbs can be dug and transplanted after plants go dormant in late spring if you want to create new plantings elsewhere.
* Great partner: Looks especially nice massed under a pink- or white-blooming ornamental tree that blooms at the same time, such as flowering cherry or one of the “Little Girl” magnolias (‘Ann,’ ‘Betty,’ ‘Jane’, etc.) Or interplant with golden daffodils.