Siberian squill

Questions about Siberian squill

Does Siberian squill need sun or shade?

Siberian squill grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does Siberian squill grow in?

USDA zones 2 to 8. It is hardy to zone 2, which means it survives winter nights down to about −40 °F (−40 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Siberian squill flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late March to mid April. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Siberian squill be planted?

3 in (7 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 in (8 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 5 in (12 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Siberian squill plants do I need?

At 3 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 219 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 44 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 701 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as handfuls of five or seven, in the gaps between other plants.

In the bed above, the planner used five in one group.

Is Siberian squill poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts are highly poisonous if eaten and can affect the heart.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like Siberian squill?

These come closest to doing what Siberian squill does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Striped squill: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour.
• Spring starflower: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early April to early May.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Siberian squill?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will Siberian squill spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Multiplies by offsets and seed into large colonies, and has spread from gardens into woodland in the upper Midwest. Do not plant it beside natural woodland.

What can I plant to hide Siberian squill's leaves after it flowers?

A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:

• Hosta: 18 in tall and 2½ ft wide, a recorded partner, in flower mid July to mid August.
• Lady's mantle: 18 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower late May to early July.
• Catmint 'Walker's Low': 24 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid May to mid September.

What does Siberian squill look like in winter?

Siberian squill is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.