Scilla natalensis in flower

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Thu, 21 May 2009 16:07:10 PDT
Sir Peter Smithers used to grow and flower this plant in containers. I have 
one expanded to many growing in a container that has bloomed for a number 
of years now and a couple planted in the ground that have yet to bloom.  I 
know they flower them well at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley in the 
ground. I tend to garden on the dry side in summer however when we don't 
have any rainfall and it is a summer rainfall plant. So it's possible that 
it is happier growing in a container where there is better attention to its 
needs than in the dry ground.  And it probably would be happier still in 
the ground with regular summer water.

So Boyce you still may have luck with your container grown  plants. Mine 
stay outside year round, but somewhat sheltered from our rain. Maybe your 
inside one wants cooler temperatures or a range of temperatures? Still if 
you can grow it in the ground, it's certainly easier.

Mary Sue

>For years I coddled the Scilla in containers indoors in anticipation of
>spikes with dozens of flowers; then a post came through PBS that
>mentioned that they never bloomed in containers.


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