Let me add my praise for Scilla bifolia to that given by Jim Waddick. This little favorite got off to a bad start in my garden. Decades ago, I had ordered Chionodoxa sardensis; when the bulbs bloomed, I realized I had been taken. I knew what the new arrivals were, but at the time I had my heart set on the really gorgeous color of Chionodoxa sardensis, and by comparison the Scilla bifolia were not only smaller but duller. As the years pass, my affection for this little squill only grows. It does take card of itself, and seeds around unobtrusively. It's a very early bloomer here, earlier here than most Chionodoxa, but not by much. In fact, the hybrid sometimes called x Chionoscilla allenii has appeared here spontaneously. If you have ever wondered what the difference between Scilla and Chionodoxa is, there's your answer: nothing significant. They hybridize on their own. The other early blooming blue squill, Scilla sibirica, is not permanent here: it persists indefinitely, but sooner or later disappears. It does self-sow a bit, but I've never had a colony which I considered permanent. The third squill which blooms here with them is S. mischtschenkoana; this one is reliable and with its much larger white flowers much more conspicuous than the blue ones. All of these are still in bloom here, but just barely. Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where the winds have dried out the garden and caused the water level in the pool to drop several inches. -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of James Waddick Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 9:27 AM To: Pacific Bulb Society Subject: [pbs] Scilla bifolia Dear All; As the weather rips through the garden and turns blooms and bloom seasons topsy-turvy there is one item to point out. Years a go my friend, the late Dodo Denney, waxed over the tiny Scilla bifolia until I bought a few bulbs in typical blue or all white. The white were weak growers and soon faded, and the small size got them kind of lost in the garden, but to my surprise they have self sown here and there-actually far and wide and even at their tiny size, and stand out in the bleaker areas of the garden and in the snow, hail and rain. I went to the wiki pages to offer a picture and found no entry! A quick Google brought up thousands of hits (naturally) including S.b."Rosea' which I now recall also bit the dust. So it may merit description and discussion. As the name suggests it has 2 tiny leaves held at an angle (rabbit ears), but between 2 - 4 inches tall and narrow. The flower is in a very dense spike of tiny star shaped blue 'dots'. Though small, the color is bright and the spread out flowers can be seen from 6 to 10 ft away so they hold their own. Early to bloom, but sort of mid-early (synchronous with Chinodoxa 'Pink Giant') they are a mini-treat and seem to hold up to the worst our season has to offer. It is not a big show, but a modest plant in its own right and for lovers of the tiny a sure fire survivor. Does any one else grow this? Best Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F + _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php