Scilla (Scilla): cultivation, reproduction, forcing. Types of scilla: Siberian scilla (photo), bileaf scilla and others

Syn: scylla, scilla.

Siberian Scilla is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant with broad-linear basal leaves and six-pointed flowers of a bright heavenly color. The Siberian Scilla flower is widely used in landscape design and is also popular among novice gardeners. It is worth noting that the bulbs of this plant are poisonous.

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In medicine

Siberian Scilla is not a pharmacopoeial plant and is not listed in the Register medicines RF. The plant is not used in official medicine, traditional medicine or other medical practices.

Contraindications and side effects

Despite the fact that the poisonous part of the Siberian blueberry is exclusively the bulb, the plant should under no circumstances be used for food or medicinal purposes. When taking the plant orally, there is a high risk of severe intoxication of the body. The person begins to feel sick, then vomiting follows. Associated symptoms may include dry mouth and swelling of the larynx, which can even lead to death.

Scientists say that even 10 grams of a poisonous plant can kill an animal weighing up to 20 kilograms. For this reason, the plant is strictly prohibited from being used as food, preparing medicinal drugs based on it, or feeding it to animals.

In floriculture

Siberian Scilla has gained immense popularity among floriculture lovers due to its early flowering and very unpretentious care. Scilla is often compared to snowdrops, as both plants begin to grow immediately after the snow melts. Gardeners use scilla to decorate flower beds, paths and gardens. With its unusual color, the plant gives the garden a unique zest and is one of the first to open the season of flowering crops.

The plant is considered unpretentious, but for abundant and beautiful flowering Some care measures must be followed. Siberian bluebell is undemanding to the soil, for this reason the choice of soil and location does not matter. The plant gets along well with both sunny side, and in the shade. If you plant the plant on the sunny side, Siberian scilla will begin to grow immediately after the snow melts. If planted in the shade, the plant will begin to grow a little later.

The culture loves moisture very much, so watering should be plentiful and, most importantly, regular, especially if the blueberry grows in open sun. Once a week, various liquid fertilizers are added to the irrigation water, mainly mineral fertilizers rich in copper and zinc.

Classification

Siberian Scilla (lat. Scilla siberica) is a species of the genus Scilla (lat. Scilla). The genus includes about 90 plant species. Previously, this genus was classified as a member of the Liliaceae family (lat. Liliaceae), but today the genus Scilla belongs to the Asparagaceae family (lat. Asparagaceae).

Botanical description

Siberian Scilla is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant. It develops as an ephemeroid: the growing season lasts from the moment the snow melts until May. As soon as the fruits ripen, the plant withers.

The leaves are broad-linear, basal. Their number can range from 2 to 4; at the tip, the leaves are pulled together into a cap and fully develop before flowering begins. There are several flowering shoots, their height ranges from 10 to 20 cm, each bearing several flowers.

The flowers are actinomorphic, with a simple corolla-shaped perianth with six free leaflets, the color of which can range from bright blue to violet-blue. Flowering occurs on spring time of the year. It usually begins to bloom in late March or late April, depending on weather conditions.

Spreading

In the wild, Siberian scilla grows in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Iraq and Iran. Rarely found in forests North America. It grows mainly in deciduous forests, as well as on the edges.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

The plant is not harvested for future use. Siberian Scilla is poisonous plant, it is not eaten or used for medicinal purposes.

Chemical composition

Chemical composition Siberian scilla practically unknown to science.

Pharmacological properties

Siberian bluebell, the use of which is only for ornamental plant growing purposes, does not have any pharmacological properties.

2. Novikov V. S., Gubanov I. A. Genus Scilla (Scilla) // Popular atlas-identifier. Wild plants. - 5th ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2008. - P. 116-118, 120, 124. - 415 p. - (Popular atlas-identifier).

3. Scilla // Botany. Encyclopedia “All the Plants of the World”: Trans. from English = Botanica / ed. D. Grigoriev et al. - M.: Könemann, 2006. - P. 830-831. - 1020 s.

4. Mordak E.V. Genus 19. Scilla - Scilla L. // Flora of the European part of the USSR / Rep. ed. An. A. Fedorov. - L.: Science, 1979. - T. IV. Ed. volumes Yu. D. Gusev. - pp. 240-243. - 355 s.

Origin. Europe, Türkiye, Syria.

Description. The genus Scylla or Scilla consists of approximately 90 species of miniature, perennial herbaceous, bulbous plants that are classified as primroses. The bulbs are about 2 cm in diameter, slightly elongated. Each bulb produces 3 - 4 thin, linear, green, basal leaves. Leaf blades develop simultaneously with peduncles or even later than them. The flowers are located on the tops of leafless peduncles, the height of which rarely exceeds the height of the leaves. The flowers are bell-shaped, slightly drooping, blue, purple and less often white and pink, each peduncle bears 1 - 3 flowers. Many varieties have a pleasant aroma during the flowering period. Scylla is often confused with snowdrops, but these are completely different plants.

Height. These are mainly compact bushes up to 20 cm high. Some varieties of woodlands reach 120 cm in height.

1.1. Scilla - planting and care

Scilla bulbs are planted in open ground depending on the timing of flowering. Primrose varieties are best planted in the second half of summer - early autumn. Plants must have time to take root properly before frost sets in. Varieties that form buds in autumn should be planted in spring or in the first half of summer. To grow a flower, prepare an area - loosen the soil and remove weeds. When placing flowers, it is worth considering their relationship to light - for example, Siberian and meadow scilla can easily tolerate partial shade, while Pushkinia and autumn scilla prefer spaces open to the sun.

Too heavy soil is mixed river sand, as additional food add humus to the soil. If the soil has a too acidic pH, it is adjusted by mixing it into the soil. dolomite flour or spilled with slaked lime solution. For the blueberries, planting holes are prepared, located at a distance of about 10 cm from each other. The planting depth should be 2 - 3 times the height of the bulbs, but for very dense soils it may be less. Visit the bulbs in the holes, dig in them, and lightly tamp the surface of the soil with your hands. To prevent the development of weeds and to prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly from the soil surface, you can carefully mulch the soil with a small layer of dry leaves, straw or grass clippings. You should not use pine needles as mulch, as they increase the acidity of the soil.

Further care for Scylla will consist of timely watering, weeding, fertilizing and loosening the soil. The first feeding is carried out in the snow - granules are scattered on it mineral fertilizers for flowering plants. It would be advisable to carry out the second one as soon as the plants begin to form buds. Summer-blooming and fall-blooming varieties are fed accordingly as new growth begins. After flowering, you can once again feed the flower with potassium fertilizers, which will maintain the health of the bulbs. The flower tolerates wintering well in open ground and can withstand severe frosts if there is a sufficient layer of snow, so it does not require shelter. If the region experiences severe winters with little snow, the plantings can be covered with pine or spruce branches or dry leaf litter.

When placing in the garden, it is worth taking into account the fact that many varieties of blueberries can reproduce by self-seeding, so it is worth allocating the flower an area where it will not interfere with other plants. Every 3 - 4 years, the scilla should be replanted, since under the surface of the soil the bulbs divide, forming fairly dense tussocks. As a result, the plants become crowded, they begin to experience a lack of nutrients - the flowers become smaller or flowering does not occur at all. Such hummocks are removed from the ground after flowering, but before the leaves completely die off (in this case, it will be difficult to find the scylla). The bushes are divided into several parts by hand and planted in different places in the garden. When dividing, it is worth selecting only the good, healthy planting material, getting rid of rotten and diseased bulbs.

1.2.Use in landscape design

This delicate plant has early flowering - the buds of the scilla often bloom as soon as the snow begins to melt, and thanks to its unpretentiousness and tolerance to lack of light, the plants can be placed in the most different places. The flower will look spectacular in group plantings - in the tree trunks of shrubs and trees; scylla is very attractive when grown in rockeries and alpine hills.

2.When it blooms

Flowering time - rearly spring - March - April. Some varieties form buds in summer or even autumn.

3. Reproduction - scilla from seeds

Scilla reproduces by small daughter bulbs and seeds. When propagating by daughter bulbs, the bushes are dug up and cleared of soil, trying not to injure the root system. Plants are divided and planted in separate cups or in different areas.

Scylla also easily reproduces by seeds and often self-sows (especially Siberian scilla). After pollination, the bushes form seed pods, which are separated from the plant after full ripening - when they become dry and brown. For collection, a fine day is selected - a warm and dry day; for spring-flowering woodlands, this process is usually carried out in the last ten days of June. Seeds can be sown immediately in shallow furrows and the crops watered thoroughly. Unfortunately, in order to see the flowering of such plants, you will need to be patient - the first buds will be decorated with scillas grown from seeds only at the age of 3 - 4 years.

4.Forcing at home

4.1.How to drive out a scilla

If you wish, you can get a blooming bouquet of scilla for any desired holiday. Siberian and two-leaved scilla are best suited for forcing. When forcing indoors, the bulbs are planted in October in fresh soil so that they are only slightly covered with the substrate.

For keeping at home, select pots with sufficiently large drainage holes and lay the first layer of moisture-wicking material - broken brick, expanded clay. Because root system The woodland is quite modest in size, so it is enough to choose a shallow and wide bowl. Fill the pot 2/3 with substrate and begin planting the bulbs.

You should step back 2 cm from the edges of the pot and leave approximately the same distance between the bulbs. When growing in pots, the bulbs do not need to be deeply buried - it is enough to cover them with a layer of soil 1 - 3 cm thick, depending on the size of the bulbs. In order to avoid plant rotting, you can put a small layer of river sand directly under the bulbs themselves and surround the bulbs around the perimeter with it.

Place the plantings in a dark and cool room - for example, in a cellar with a temperature of 3 - 5 ° C. Plants should be obtained 3 weeks before the desired date of flowering. The air temperature is raised to 12 - 15 ° C, and also place it in the dark or simply cover the bowl with dark material. After a week, the cover is removed or the pot is brought into the light and the temperature is raised a little more - up to 15 - 18 ° C.

Interestingly, a correctly carried out replantation does not harm the plants at all, so the scilla can be replanted even with flowers. Unfortunately, many varieties will not form buds year after year when grown in a pot - such flowers should be planted after forcing them into open ground.

4.2. Temperature conditions

Scilla is suitable for moderate conditions - cool conditions at temperatures up to 15°C, it promotes abundant and long-lasting flowering. If kept warm, flowering may not occur at all; keeping it too warm will lead to a significant reduction in flowering time. When grown in open ground without shelter, scylla bulbs can survive at temperatures down to -15° C.

4.3.Lighting

Scylla is not demanding on lighting conditions - it can be successfully grown both in a brightly lit place and in partial shade. Windows facing east or west will be most suitable for the flower.

4.4.How to care for scilla

Scilla varieties have been developed that can be grown for many years in room conditions, however, most varieties bloom in cultivation for 1 season, after which the bulbs are dug up and stored cool for several months until signs of new growth appear. Such plants are planted in open ground so that they gain nutrients for 2 - 3 years and only after that they can be used again for forcing. After flowering, the leaves will turn yellow and dry out - do not remove them, they continue to nourish the bulb. It is appropriate to pinch the fading buds along with the flower stalks - this way the plants will not waste their energy on forming seeds and the bulbs will receive additional nutrition.

4.5.Soil

Scilla feels great in any soil with good drainage. Substrates rich in organic materials are preferred - for example, mixtures based on leaf and turf humus, as well as peat. To increase moisture permeability and so that the earth does not cake, but remains loose, coarse river sand, perlite or vermiculite are mixed into it. The pH level of the soil should be close to neutral - for example, in the region of 6.5 - 7.0. The soil should easily allow air to pass to the roots of the plants, allowing them to breathe.

4.6.Feeding

With the appearance of sprouts, they begin to feed the blueberry with complex fertilizers for flowering plants. 2 - 3 feedings per season are enough. Application of nitrogen fertilizers or large amounts of organic matter can lead to excessive leaf growth and negatively affect flowering. Since the bulbs contain a certain supply of nutrients, it is better to underfeed the plants - when applying fertilizers, it is worth diluting them to half the dose recommended on the package.

4.7.Purpose

Scylla can be used as a forcing plant. Flowering usually occurs within 4 - 5 months after planting. For forcing, only the largest and healthiest-looking bulbs are selected, disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and planted in nutritious, moist soil. Plants are also often used in delicate spring bouquets - they can retain their attractiveness for a long time in a vase with water.

4.8.Air humidity

Support high humidity by placing the container with the scilla on a tray of wet pebbles or use a room humidifier. Spraying can be done, but during the flowering period, if moisture gets on the flowers and buds, it can ruin their appearance.

4.9.Soil moisture

Scilla requires abundant and regular watering during the growing season, but it should be increased gradually as it grows. After planting the bulbs, but before the first leaves appear, keep the soil slightly moist. As the green mass develops, the frequency of watering is gradually increased. After flowering, watering is gradually reduced and when the entire above-ground part of the bulb dies off, it should again be kept in barely moist soil.

4.10.Pests and diseases

Rotting due to frequent watering in autumn and winter or insufficient drainage. Humid and stagnant air sometimes leads to the appearance of gray rot. Achellenchoides is a disease characteristic of bulbous plants, which is expressed in the fact that the outside of the bulbs acquire a brown tint, and ring rot appears on the surface. Plants affected by the disease are destroyed.

Among the harmful insects kept at home, spider mites may appear. When grown in open ground, blueberry bulbs may appeal to mice and onion hoverflies.

4.11.Note, interesting facts

It is interesting that in bad weather - when it is windy or raining, the leaves of the scylla are adjacent to the ground, and on fine sunny days they are located almost vertically. Unfortunately, earlier flowering attracted increased attention to the plants - they were often used in spring bouquets, as a result, some species of woodles are now listed in the Red Book.

Hydroponics.

5.Varieties:

5.1.Siberian woodle - Scilla siberica

A perennial bulbous plant - a primrose about 10 cm high. Each bulb is capable of forming 2 - 4 dark green, glossy, linear leaves and several dark, thin, erect peduncles. At the tops of the peduncles there are drooping bell-shaped flowers, painted in a rich blue hue. Flowers appear on the plant in early spring, simultaneously with the leaves.

5.2. Bell-shaped or Spanish scilla - Scilla hispanica

An attractive flowering perennial 30 - 40 cm high with light, oblong bulbs up to 8 cm in diameter. The plants have green, numerous, belt-shaped leaves. Strong, erect peduncles can bear up to 15 - 20 drooping, bell-shaped flowers. Flowers can be colored blue, light blue, white, lilac or pinkish.

5.3. Scilla bifolia

Compact flowering plants with light bulbs with a diameter of 1 - 2 cm. As the name suggests, each bulb is capable of forming 2, very rarely - 3 strap-shaped, green leaves. The leaf blades may be slightly bent along the central vein. The peduncles are vertical, brown in color, and can bear from 2 to 10 attractive flowers with narrow petals, painted in pinkish or blue shades.

5.4.Scilla scilloides

Bulbous perennials up to 20 cm high with vertical, thick, light green peduncles that can appear even before the leaves. At the tops of the peduncles there is an inflorescence with many pink or lilac flowers, opening sequentially - from the base to the top of the inflorescence. The leaves are belt-shaped, glossy, dark green.

5.5.Peruvian or grape scilla - Scilla peruviana

5.6. Rosen's Scilla - Scilla rosenii

Perennial flowering herbaceous plants up to 15 cm high with dark green leaves slightly bent along the central vein. During the flowering period, which begins in early spring, the flower forms beautiful soft blue, lilac or white buds with narrow, wide-open petals.

5.7. Tubergen's or Mishchenko's scilla - Scilla tubergeniana

Miniature flowering bushes of this variety grow up to 15 cm in height. Flowering occurs very early - as soon as the snow melts, flower stalks often break right through it. Each bush has 6 green, narrowly lanceolate leaf blades. The flowers are star-shaped, white or blue, often bicolor, about 2 cm in diameter. to his appearance The plant resembles Chionodoxa.

5.8.Meadow scilla, Litardiere or amethyst - Scilla pratensis, S. litardierei, S. amethystina

Perennial bulbous flower, each bulb of which can form 4 - 5 green, fairly wide leaves. In the second half of May - early June, the plants decorate themselves with strong vertical peduncles, on top of which there are inflorescences with delicate bluish buds that open from the base of the stem to its top. the total flowering time can last up to 3 weeks. The bushes are compact - reaching a height of 10 - 25 cm.

5.9. Scylla undescribed or hyacinthoides undescribed - Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Currently, the plants are classified into a separate genus - Hyacinthoides, but are often found under the name Scylla. These delicate plants with a pleasant aroma are often found in the forests of England, where they can cover large areas. The plants are bulbous perennials with long, narrow, glossy, green basal leaves. During the flowering period, tall peduncles with suspended blue or purple bell-shaped flowers are formed. Flowering occurs at the end of May - the first ten days of June. The plants reach a height of 40 cm.

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When there is still snow in April, the scilla flower opens its delicate petals, which is often mistakenly called the blue snowdrop. This is beautiful and has long been loved by gardeners in many countries, who widely use it in the decorative design of rock gardens, rocky gardens, flower beds and flower groups.

Scilla (flower): description

The first to bloom in the spring, scillas have another name - scylla. All the variety of species of this flower, of which botanists have counted more than 80, belong, according to the latest scientific data, to the Asparagus family, and not the Liliaceae or Hyacinthaceae, as previously thought. This is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant with several narrow basal leaves. The scilla flower produces one leafless peduncle. It bears small star- or bell-shaped flowers.

They can be either single or grouped into brushes. Flower colors can be different: pink, lilac and white. Scilla flowers - bushes form low, their maximum height in rare cases exceeds 13-15 cm.

Botanical features

All scillas that bloom in both spring and autumn are ephemeroids. This means that in a very short period of time, less than a month, they manage not only to grow the above-ground part and bloom, but also to form seeds. Then the plant enters a dormant phase, and the scilla flower sheds its leaves, and its bulb falls asleep underground until the next season.

Variety of species

There are more than 80 in the genus Scilla various types, living mainly in regions of Asia, Europe and North Africa with temperate and cool climates. Not all species known to scientists are used in gardening. In the conditions of our middle zone, it is quite possible to select species and varieties of scylla so that they delight with their flowering from early spring until autumn.

Proleska Mishchenko

In the garden, still empty after winter, the spring flowers of Mishchenko's scilla are the first to appear. This miniature scylla, only 10 cm high, blooms with white flowers with a light blue veil. It produces from 2 to 4 peduncles, the height of which varies between 8-12 cm. Each inflorescence has from 3 to 5 with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm. The flower of the Mishchenko scilla, depending on weather conditions, blooms in the middle - end April. It blooms for 15-20 days. This species is one of the earliest and large-flowered, it was described in 1927. Its homeland is northwestern Iran. It has been used in horticulture in Holland since 1936. This species is unpretentious and is widely used in European gardens. Prefers sunny areas with loose, but not very light soil.

Scilla single-flowered

Around the same time, the taller, about 15 cm, elegant single-flowered Scylla also blooms.

Just after opening, its flowers are painted in a soft blue color and lighten over time. Each petal is decorated with a central blue vein and anthers of a bright blue hue.

Scilla bifolia

At the very beginning of May, the spectacular Scylla bifolia blooms even before the flowering begins. From the saturated foliage grows a racemose inflorescence, as if braided in a braid. Over time, the peduncle stretches upward, and the braid turns into a shield consisting of 6-9 medium-sized, wide-open flowers of dense of blue color. They can stay fresh for up to ten days. This species of blueberry has been known for more than five centuries. Flowers, the cultivation of which does not cause much trouble, have been cultivated in European gardens since the 16th century. Today there are forms with delicate pink as well as white flowers.

Siberian Scilla

Following the Scylla bifolia, the most common and unpretentious Scilla sibirica blooms in gardens. It produces flower stalks up to 15 cm high, on which there are two or three flowers with a diameter of 2 cm. They are usually colored azure or blue-blue. This type of scilla has been grown in gardens since the 18th century. Modern breeders have created several varieties of Siberian scylla, which compare favorably with the original form with larger flowers and brightly colored petals:

• purple-blue multi-flowered Spring Beauty;
• deep azure Vazlav;
• bright cornflower blue Sapphire;
• Alba - this scilla has white flowers.

Pushkin-shaped scilla

This species pleases the gardener's eye with its flowering at about the same time as the Siberian Scylla. Scilla puschkinioides is native to the Pamir and Tien Shan mountain systems. On its racemose peduncle there are from 5 to 7 pale blue flowers with a diameter of up to two centimeters.

Scilla Rosen

At the very beginning of May, the latest scilla, Rosena, blooms. Wide dark green leaves are arranged in a funnel shape around powerful peduncles, each of which contains 1-2 large flowers, up to 4 cm in diameter, reminiscent of cyclamens. The perianth leaves are painted in a delicate, lilac-blue hue, almost white at the base, and are decorated with long stamens with bright blue anthers.

Other types

As mentioned above, in addition to the woodlands that delight us with their flowering in the spring, there are species that bloom in summer and even in autumn.

In June, Scylla Italiana opens its small, spike-shaped inflorescences. Somewhat later, the multi-flowered, bluish-lilac Lithardier's Scilla blooms. At the end of July - beginning of August, the time comes for the Scythian scilla, more often called autumn, to bloom.

We create conditions

Regardless of what type of woodland you are going to grow on your site, you need to create at least minimum conditions for the growth and flowering of this unpretentious perennial. Scylla exhibits its decorative qualities best on soil well enriched with humus with an average acidity value, but most species of this plant are so unpretentious that they feel great even in heavy soils. clay soils, lightly “seasoned” with leaf humus or rotted compost. Scilla can grow both in the sun and in the shade. For getting spectacular flowering experts recommend adding to each before planting square meter one - two spoons of nitrophoska and 3-4 kg of peat-humus mixture. Fertilizers should be laid to a depth of 10-12 cm.

How to propagate?

In one place, a scilla can grow for 4-5 years, forming proper care dense thickets. This plant can be propagated either by planting seeds or by daughter bulbs. The problem with seed propagation is that good germination of seeds lasts only a few days, and then decreases significantly. The seedlings obtained in this way will bloom in 2 - 3 years. In this regard, a simpler, and most importantly, faster method of reproduction is children. As a rule, each adult bulb forms several daughter bulbs annually.

When and how to plant?

You need to plant purchased bulbs or children obtained from your own plants at the very beginning of autumn.

At this time, the plant is at rest and tolerates all manipulations with it painlessly. Planting material is planted in pre-prepared soil, to a depth of 10-15 cm, maintaining a distance between plants of 5 cm. It is important that rainwater does not stagnate in the area where the blueberries will grow, since in the conditions high humidity the bulbs will most likely die. If planted correctly on warm autumn days, the planted bulbs will take root well.

The specific epithet is erroneous (absent in Siberia), but fixed as a priority. Homeland - the south of the European part of Russia, Crimea, the Caucasus, Central and Southern Europe. It blooms very profusely and, growing, forms blue lawns. It can dominate in the spring oak grove (up to 268 individuals per 1 m2), and occupies a significant place in the spring grass cover of North Caucasian oak groves.

Scilla sibirica
Photo by Olga Bondareva

Ephemeroid. The leaves appear on the surface simultaneously with the inflorescences and die off at the beginning of seed ripening. In summer there is a dormant period, in autumn all the bulbs have new roots and a new shoot with the beginnings of leaves and flowers. In winter, there is only a slow increase in these organs. It reproduces almost only by seeds. Summer cold snaps inhibit development and delay the initial stages of organogenesis. Summer heat is required for 3 months. The flowers contain nectar and are pollinated by bumblebees and bees. The flowers open at 10 a.m., close at 4-5 p.m., and remain closed in cloudy and rainy weather. The capsules ripen on the soil, and the seeds are taken away by the ants.

An interesting feature is the change in the position of the leaves depending on light and temperature conditions. At the beginning of the growing season, on cloudy and cold days, they are located horizontally and pressed against the litter - this helps absorb scattered radiation; on clear warm days with fairly strong heating, the leaves take on an inclined or close
to a vertical position. At the tops of the leaves there is a hard tip, consisting of a group of mechanical tissue cells and looking like a light cap - it helps to overcome frozen soil, a layer of litter compressed by a layer of snow, and an ice crust during germination. Germination, seeds aboveground. It starts in March - April. During the first growing season, the embryonic bud produces only scale-like leaves. The young bulb consists of a thickened basal part of the cotyledon surrounding an embryonic bud with two or three scale-like leaves. In the second year, the first assimilating leaf develops. The formation of daughter bulbs begins in middle-aged generative individuals. The life cycle of an individual of seed origin ends with its disintegration into daughter individuals forming the primary clone. Vegetative propagation is a sign of aging, it is not accompanied by rejuvenation of daughter individuals and does not contribute to the spread of the species.

S. sibirica subsp. sibirica- P. sibirica subspecies Siberian. It grows in forests and shrubs, in the mountains in the lower and middle zones of the middle and southern zone of the European part of Russia, Crimea, the Caucasus, Asia Minor and Western Asia.

The bulb is broadly ovoid, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter. Leaves: 3-4, broadly linear, 1-1.5 (2) cm wide. Shooter 1-3 (4), they are 10-20 (30) cm tall, with 1-2 (3) azure flowers on curved pedicels; tepals 1-1.2 cm long. Blooms in mid-spring for 15-20 days.
Scilla has long been the most famous species in floriculture. Widely naturalized. In the gardens Western Europe it is grown with early XVII V. The white-flowered form has been known since 1798. Very decorative, especially in masses on lawns and among bushes. Known forms - white, pink, blue. The white-flowered form begins to bloom 7-10 days later than the main species, but for a longer period, 20-25 days. Winter-hardy.

Varieties:
"Spring Beauty"(Spring Beauty) - currently considered the best variety this species, with powerful violet-green arrows and 5-6 large dark purple flowers, reaching a diameter of 3 cm. The variety does not set seeds, but reproduces very well by children. It is used quite widely in Western European floriculture.
"Alba"(Alba) - variety with snow-white flowers. When planted with the previous variety, it creates a wonderful color contrast.

Scilla sibirica f. rosea Photo by Yuri Pirogov	Scilla sibirica subsp. armena Photo by Levon Vardanyan	Scilla sibirica subsp. caucasica Photo by Levon Vardanyan
Scilla sibirica f. alba Photo by Kirill Tkachenko	Scilla sibirica "Spring-Beauty" Photo by Kirill Tkachenko	Scilla sibirica x S.rosenii Photo by Kirill Tkachenko

S. sibirica subsp. caucasica(Miscz.) Mordak- P. sibirica subspecies Caucasian. It is found in forests of the middle mountain zone to the upper limit of the forest in Eastern Transcaucasia.

The bulb is broadly ovoid, 1.2-1.5 (2) cm in diameter. Arrows 20-30 (40) cm tall, with 3-5 dark blue flowers with a purple tint on straight pedicels; tepals up to 2 cm long. Blooms in mid-spring for 15-20 days. Can be widely cultivated.

S. sibirica subsp. armena (Grossh.) Mordak- P. sibirica subspecies Armenian. It grows on treeless grassy slopes in the subalpine zone of Southern Transcaucasia and Northeastern Turkey.

The bulb is ovoid, 0.7 - 1.2 cm in diameter. The leaves, usually two, are sickle-shaped. Arrows 10-15 cm tall, with 1 (2) bright blue flower on a curved peduncle; tepals 1-1.2 cm long. It blooms in mid-spring for 15-20 days. Can be widely cultivated. You can plant Armenian scilla in gardens under the canopy of trees.

Among the very first spring flowers, the blue-blue flowers enchant you with the touching tenderness of the scilla. The fragile plant magically breaks through the just thawed soil at the same time as snowdrops, for which it is often confused and called “blue snowdrops.” If you wish, you can place the scilla in your garden and every spring you can admire the blue scattering of its flowers again and again.

Scilla in old and new taxonomy

Scilla (Scilla) is a genus of bulbous herbaceous plants with about 90 species. Previously, the genus belonged to the Liliaceae family, now some scientists attribute it to the order and family Asparagus. Other researchers believe that the presence of the bulb, life forms and chemical components of the plant allow it to be classified as a member of the Hyacinth family. In turn, the Hyacinth family itself has also been included by some taxonomists of monocots in the Asparagus family, while others use traditional taxonomy. Therefore, inconsistencies can be found in the literature. Despite some morphological differences and features, these two families have many common characteristics. Therefore, any taxonomy, old or new, is recognized in the world and is not considered erroneous. In the photo: Siberian woodleaf (Scilla sibirica)
Sometimes the blueberry is confused with the liverwort. Their flowers have the same number of petals (six) in a similar bright blue hue, and both bloom in early spring. Scilla can be easily distinguished by its long, lanceolate-shaped leaves. The liverwort has three-lobed leaves, similar to clover leaves, it belongs to the ranunculaceae family, a class of dicotyledonous plants and is not related to Scylla. There is a woodleaf plant, similar in name to the “blizzard”, but in appearance it is very different from it.

Scilla - ephemeral plant

Scilla, or scilla, belongs to the ephemeroids - perennial plants, in which the bulbs or rhizomes contain a supply of nutrients. The growing season of these plants is a very short period of time; they spend most of their life underground. Most representatives of the Scilla genus, like many ephemeroids, develop in early spring before leaves appear on the trees. But some species, for example, autumn blueberry (Scilla autumnalis), bloom in late summer or autumn, like the familiar colchicum. In decorative floriculture, autumn scilla is used very rarely.

All types of scylla are found mainly in the northern hemisphere in Africa, Asia and Europe. Only a few of them, for example, the violet scylla, live in the mountains of South Africa. Scilla grow in different plant communities: mixed and deciduous forests; mountain meadows; steppe regions; forest-steppe communities; can grow high in the mountains at altitudes exceeding 3600 meters.

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"" In the photo: Siberian woodleaf (Scilla sibirica)

How to recognize a blueberry

Scylla - herbaceous plant with long leaves with parallel veins. Its modified underground stem, the bulb, serves to store nutrients. Flowers are actinomorphic, that is, they have radial symmetry. Scilla has a simple perianth, six petals and stamens, one pistil and an upper ovary. Small flowers are collected in inflorescences, spikes and racemes, or solitary. Scylla flowers are mostly blue and blue colors, but some species and varieties have different shades of petals. The Japanese scilla (Scilla scilloides) has pink flowers, while the scilla (Scilla puschkinioides) has white, less often blue, flowers. Many honeycombs with flowers have been bred in culture different shades, these are mainly varieties of Siberian scilla.
The fruit is a capsule of a scilla with a large number of small seeds. This is another difference from typical representatives the asparagus family, whose fruit is a berry.
Many types of scylla are used in landscape design. Scilla are unpretentious, can reproduce by self-sowing, are frost-resistant, and do not require care. Blooming in early spring, scillas decorate flower beds when other plants are just beginning to develop. Scylla can grow in partial shade, in the shade, and in sunny areas. It is suitable for alpine slides, lawns with grass, flower beds and for forcing in pots.

““ In the photo: Siberian blueberry (Scilla sibirica), planted in the trunk of an apple tree. Thanks to good self-seeding, a whole lawn of bluegrass was formed.

““ In the photo: Siberian scilla, planted among the stones in the rock garden.

Conditions for growing blueberries

Lighting
Scylla loves good light, but can grow in partial shade or in diffused light. Scilla species that bloom in early spring need to be planted in more sunny places. And those that bloom in May-June, when solar activity is much higher, will feel better next to other plants, in grass or partial shade.

Soil features
Scilla prefers loose substrates, which include leaf humus, organic-rich soil containing mineral components. It is good to add forest soil with particles of semi-decomposed bark and leaves to the garden soil for planting. The soil should be moist, but not wet. Stagnation of water, acidification of the soil or waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed. In such cases, the amount of oxygen in the soil decreases and the development of soil fungi increases. This leads to rotting of the bulb and death of the plant.
The soil for scylla should be light and well-drainable. If scilla is grown in pots or containers (that is, not in open ground), then drainage should always be laid at the bottom.
Scylla cannot grow in soils with high acidity. The optimal environment for it is a neutral or slightly acidic environment (pH 6.5-7.0).
For better condition For comfortable growth of the blueberry, it is necessary to mulch (cover) the soil surface with a variety of materials to preserve the moisture and beneficial properties of the substrate. Suitable for this purpose: leaf humus; bark of deciduous trees (except nuts); straw; small pebbles that can also serve a decorative function. To mulch woodland, you cannot use pine needles and the bark of coniferous trees. When decomposed by water, they change the pH of the soil, making it more acidic.

Watering and humidity
Scylla likes moisture, but not wetness. Flowering plant It is necessary to water carefully, trying to ensure that less water gets on the flowers - then they will retain their decorative effect longer. It is preferable to water the blueberries in the morning.

Fertilizers
Some gardeners believe that the garden scylla has not gone far from its wild mother species and therefore does not particularly need mineral feeding. This is a misconception. You can do without fertilizers, but in this case the plants will be weaker, the flowering will be short-lived and not as abundant, and the woodlands will be more often affected by diseases.
Time for mineral fertilizing- early spring before the beginning of the growing season or in the earliest period of leaf development before the formation of flower stalks. You can also apply fertilizers in late autumn, because some types of woodlands begin to germinate during this period and, sprouted, overwinter under the snow.
You need to fertilize with basic minerals: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. It is better to apply granular or slow-soluble fertilizers in the fall, and feed with liquid fertilizers in the spring. If the fertilizers are complex, then it is desirable that, in addition to the three main substances, they contain microelements: iron, copper, magnesium, calcium.
Scilla bifolia (www.wikimedia.org; Florian Grossir) »»

Forcing scilla

Scilla, like all bulbous plants, can be planted for forcing in pots; for this, Siberian scilla or bileaf scilla are more often used.
Scylla can be made to bloom for the New Year or March 8th. To force blueberries, take healthy bulbs and plant them in a shallow container in a mixture of sand and earth (1:2), or in perlite. You can add a little humus to the substrate.
The time for planting bulbs depends on the period of flowering. If you plant scylla bulbs at the end of September, it will bloom by the end of December. But usually scillas for forcing are planted later: in October or November. The soil should be slightly moist, not too dry. After planting, the pots with bulbs are placed in a dark, damp room (temperature should be from 0 to +5 degrees). The bulbs remain in this state for 8-10 weeks. After this, the pots are taken out into the light, watered and fed. Temperature is important for the growth of scilla, but it should not exceed +15 degrees C. At high temperatures, the scylla may not bloom, or its flowering period will be very short.
Pots with planted bulbs can be placed outside until the forcing period. To prevent the bulbs from freezing, the container is buried in humus or sawdust flush with the ground. Cover the top with leaves or straw. The bulbs should remain in this state for at least two months. The main condition is the cold temperature outside. Covered scylla bulbs are not afraid of negative temperatures. After two months, the pot is dug up and brought into the heat for further distillation.
"" Scilla hyacinthoides (Photo: Stan Shebs, wikimedia.org)

Scilla reproduction

Scilla reproduces by seeds (generatively) and bulbs (vegetatively). Seeds can be sown directly into the soil, or first in a container. The substrate should be rich in organic components and be well aerated. It takes 2-3 years from sowing to flowering.
Vegetative propagation of scylla is carried out using baby bulbs or by cutting off the bottom of the bulb and planting it. In the first case, the children can be planted immediately in open ground, the bottom is planted in a separate container. When babies form on the bottom, they are carefully torn off with tweezers and planted separately. The soil and growing conditions for the bulbs are the same as for adult scylla.
For propagation, bulbs are dug up no earlier than three years after planting. The plant can grow in one place for more than 5 years. Depending on the type, the bulbs are planted at a depth equal to their height, at a distance from each other slightly greater than this value. The bulbs are dug up after the leaves die and are immediately planted in a permanent place or stored in peat in a cool room until the end of August - beginning of September, after which they are planted in the ground.
Scilla litardierei (Kurt Stuber, wikimedia.org) »»

Diseases and pests of blueberries

With abundant watering and poor drainage of the substrate, the scylla bulb can be affected by a fungus that causes rot. If the process began at the initial stage of development, then the bulb can be saved by keeping it in a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide for some time. If the bulb is severely damaged, it will no longer be possible to save it. In the spring, you can water the blueberries with a fungicide solution for preventive purposes.
Scilla bulbs can be eaten by beetles and mole crickets. The best way to deal with them is mechanical removal larvae and adult insects while digging soil.
Onion hoverfly – dangerous pest, which often leads to the death of Scylla. The larvae of this fly penetrate the bulbs and gnaw them from the inside. To get rid of this pest, you need repeated treatment with an insecticide - a poison that attacks insects. The same method (insecticide) should be used to combat onion root mite. Before planting, you need to carefully check the bulbs, this will help avoid many diseases and pests.
"" Scilla peruviana (Photo: Jean Tosti, wikimedia.org)

Types and varieties of scilla

The main use of scylla is decorative floriculture and landscape design open ground. The following types of scilla are often used in gardens:

Scilla sibirica– in cultivation since the 18th century, based on this species, varieties with white, pink and dark purple petals were created. The flowers are solitary or collected in an inflorescence of 3 flowers. Flowering occurs at the end of April. There is a natural white-flowered variety Scilla siberica var. alba

Scilla bifolia- the plant is very low-growing, characterized by abundant flowering and fragrant flowers. Up to 15 flowers can be counted in the racemose inflorescence. In culture since the 16th century. There are subspecies with white, pink, soft blue and dark blue flowers.

"" Scilla luciliae(photo: Jason Sturner, wikimedia.org) - suitable for lawns and flower beds located in partial shade or sun, long established in cultivation, widespread, formerly belonged to the genus Chionodoxa under the name Chionodoxa luciliae. It has natural varieties Scilla forbesii and Scilla sardensis. The natural habitat of the plant is the mountainous areas of Turkey. Planted at a depth of 7-10 cm, the distance between plants is 7 cm, and the plants are replanted every five years. Some varieties of Scilla Lucilia:
Alba - the variety has white flowers;
Rosy Queen - in the inflorescence there are up to 5 flowers, the light blue petals of which have blue-violet veins, and the white stamens are decorated with yellow pollen, the height of the plants is no more than 10 cm;
Violet Beauty – white stamens with yellow pollen contrast brightly against the background of purple petals, plant height is 8 cm;
Violetta is a very low plant, 5 cm high. The inflorescence contains up to 7 pale blue flowers with white veins on the petals.

Scilla hyacinthoides- has dense inflorescences with many flowers that bloom gradually from bottom to top; peduncle height up to 80 cm. In Israel it is used for cutting

Scilla litardierei- has two more synonymous names meadow or amethyst - this species has been cultivated for more than two hundred years, the natural habitat of the species is the Balkans. Most famous variety– Orjen. It blooms in early June, much later than the Siberian scilla. The height of the inflorescence is 20 cm, it contains up to 70 blue-violet flowers. The flowers resemble small stars.

Scilla bucharica– high-mountain ephemeroid, which has proven itself well in culture; the height of thin stems (1-3) is up to 15 cm, the flowers are pale blue, wide open, with a blue vein in the center. The anthers are blue.

Portuguese Scilla peruviana(photo: Jean Tosti, wikimedia.org)»»
– originally from Portugal, it has magnificent decorative inflorescences, which can contain 40-100 flowers; peduncle height up to 40 cm, blue flowers up to 2 cm in diameter, with Latin language the name translates as “Peruvian”, this mistake was made by Carl Linnaeus when taxonomizing the plant. Flowers of cultivated varieties can be colored white, light and dark blue, blue and purple.

«« Scilla mischtschenkoana(photo: Kurt Stuber, wikimedia.org) – Found naturally in the southern Caucasus and Northern Iran, in cultivation since the 30s of the 20th century. Plant height is up to 12 cm, leaf length is up to 15 cm. It blooms at the end of April with pale blue flowers with dark veins, diameter up to 2-2.5 cm. There are up to five flowers in an inflorescence. The most famous variety, awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Scilla tubergeniana.

For room decoration (in indoor floriculture) the following types of scilla are used::

Violet Scilla (Scilla Violaceae, or S. socialis)- blooms with inconspicuous flowers in March-April, but is notable for its gray-blue oval long leaves with green spots. The underside of the leaves is brownish in color.

Scilla pauciflora– blooms with pink flowers, the leaves have longitudinal stripes.

Scilla ovatifolia– leaves are decorated with cherry spots.

Scilla graminifolia- along the edges of the green leaves there is a dark cherry edging.

"" Violet blueberry (Scilla Violaceae, or S. socialis), photo: www.greenboom.ru

Except decorative use some species of Japanese Scilla (also known as Scilla scillaides, or S. Japonica) are used in medicine.

All types of blueberries are good honey plants. Scylla species that bloom in early spring play an important role for insects: Siberian scilla and bifolia scilla.