Siberian squill

(Scilla siberica)

Conservation Status
Siberian squill
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNA - No Status Rank

SNA - No Status Rank

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Weed Status
   
 

Siberian squill is an exotic invasive plant. It is listed as an invasive species in New Jersey but in no other state. It has spread rapidly since 2013, when it was recorded in just 5 counties in eastern Minnesota. In 2023 it was found in 47 of Minnesota’s 87 counties.

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Siberian squill is an erect, perennial forb that rises from a small bulb and fibrous roots. It can be 4 to 8 tall, but is usually no more than 6 in height. The bulb is egg-shaped and to ¾ long. The outer coating of the bulb is dark purplish-brown. It often forms colonies.

In the early spring a rosette of 2 to 4 leaves and 1 to 4 flowering stems (scapes) rises from the top of the bulb.

The leaves are broadly linear, 4 to 6 long, and to ¾ wide. They are folded longitudinally in the lower half and usually rolled upward longitudinally in the upper half. They taper to a blunt point at the tip. The upper surface and lower surfaces are hairless. The margins are untoothed.

The scapes are erect, green or purplish-green, angled, unbranched, leafless, and hairless.

The inflorescence is a solitary flower or a cluster of 2 to 4 flowers at the tip of the scape. The flowers nod downwards at the end of a 5 16 to ½ long flower stalk. There is a single, minute, egg-shaped modified leaf (bract) at the base of the flower head. None of the bracts are replaced with bulblets.

The flowers are about 1 in diameter when fully open. There are 3 petals and 3 petal-like sepals (6 tepals), 6 stamens, and 1 style. The tepals are narrowly oblong, ½ to long, 3 16 to ¼ wide, and spreading. They have a deep blue central vein and fade to purple toward the margins. The stamens have white filaments and blue anthers. The style is purple and is not divided at the tip. The flowers are strongly fragrant.

In North America the plant propagates vegetatively, rarely if ever producing fruit.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

4 to 8

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Deep blue to purple

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
  No similar species  
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moderate moisture. Deciduous woodlands, railroads, disturbed areas. Partial sun.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

March to early May

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 

Toxicity

 
 

The leaves of Siberian squill are toxic to mammals, including humans.

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 
Distribution Map   Distribution Map  

Sources

3, 4, 7, 22, 28, 29, 30.

5/30/2013   6/12/2023    
 
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native to eastern Europe and Asia. Introduced, cultivated, rarely escaped cultivation, and naturalized in North America.

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Uncommon

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Liliopsida (monocots)  
 

Order

Asparagales (agaves, orchids, irises, and allies)  
 

Family

Asparagaceae (agave and allies)  
  Subfamily Scilloideae  
  Tribe Hyacintheae  
  Subtribe Hyacinthinae  
 

Genus

Scilla (squill)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Four subspecies of Siberian squill, including the nominate subspecies, ssp. siberica, occur in eastern Europe. Only the nominate subspecies occurs in North America. When the nominate infraspecies is the only one occurring in North America, North American taxonomies usually drop the infraspecies epithet. Consequently, Scilla siberica ssp. siberica becomes simply Scilla siberica in North America.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Othocallis siberica

Scilla sibirica (spelling error?)

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

Siberian squill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Bract

Modified leaf at the base of a flower stalk, flower cluster, or inflorescence.

 

Filament

On plants: The thread-like stalk of a stamen which supports the anther. On Lepidoptera: One of a pair of long, thin, fleshy extensions extending from the thorax, and sometimes also from the abdomen, of a caterpillar.

 

Linear

Long, straight, and narrow, with more or less parallel sides, like a blade of grass.

 

Scape

An erect, leafless stalk growing from the rootstock and supporting a flower or a flower cluster.

 

Sepal

An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.

 

Tepal

Refers to both the petals and the sepals of a flower when they are similar in appearance and difficult to tell apart. Tepals are common in lilies and tulips.

 
 
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Plant

 
    Siberian squill   Siberian squill  
           
 

Flower

 
    Siberian squill      
           
 

Leaves

 
    Siberian squill      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Siberian Squill
Wez Smith
 
  Siberian Squill  
 
About

Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica).

 

 

slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  Siberian squill ( Scilla siberica )
Seppo Sallinen
 
   
 
About

Published on May 8, 2012

Sony HDR-PJ10E.
Seppo Sallinen.
( Scilla siberica ), Skilla, Rysk Blåstjärna, Sibirischer Blaustern,
Cebulica syberyjska,
Russeblåstjerne,
Oosterse sterhyacint,
Scille de Sibérie,
Siperiansinililja eli idänsinililja

   
  Scilla siberica
wander van laar
 
   
 
About

Published on Mar 16, 2014

 

   
  Scilla siberica
wander van laar
 
   
 
About

Published on Mar 29, 2014

 

   
  Spring Bee's Blue Pollen - Siberian Squill
JCVdude
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Apr 9, 2011

Bee's Blue Pollen. Early April has the bee's out and busy gathering colorful pollen, but blue? Could be some blue honey coming soon.

Music Promises by Zero-project http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

   
  Skilla
Seppo Sallinen
 
   
 
About

Published on May 7, 2012

Sony HDR-PJ10E.

Seppo Sallnen.

Idänsinililja ( Scilla siberica ), Skilla, Rysk Blåstjärna, Sibirischer Blaustern, Cebulica syberyjska, Russeblåstjerne,

Oosterse sterhyacint, Scille de Sibérie, Siperiansinililja,

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
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