[Alisdair]

We always think of scillas as "little blue jobs", but what about this chap, a stately plant a metre or so in height:
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This is Scilla hyacinthoides, widespread around most of the Mediterranean, and happy with a hot dry summer baking. It needs no cosseting - we saw these growing in poor sandy ground among Calicotome villosa, the spiny broom, on the MGS trip to Israel in March this year, when Oron took us to the small Poleg Dunes nature reserve near Tel Aviv.

[MikeHardman]

Scilla hyacinthoides: Thanks for the photo. I had wondered what they looked like when I read about them in the MGS journal (in the Israel trip report).
They remind me of fireworks rockets going off - the main display being just behind the leading point.
If they are that drought tolerant, I guess they fill much the same niche as Urginea maritima and Asphodelus aestivus (except for Urginea being a rat poison).
I see Wikipedia indicates it "is in the process of domestication as a cut flower in Israel".
And the Pacific Bulb Society: "It needs a poor stony soil to flower well, otherwise it will develop an abnormal number of offsets missing the flowering. It has been proposed to be moved into a new genus with it as the sole species, Nectaroscilla (Nectaroscilla hyacinthoides.)"

[Alisdair]

Nectaroscilla hyacinthoides has currently been rejected as a synonym of S. hyacinthoides, Mike, so we don't have to get our heads around yet another new name, thank goodness!

[Alisdair]

For pictures of a white form of Scilla messeniaca, click here.

[MikeHardman]

Just now, in a few places near the Akamas, at around 500m, there are some lovely patches of mauve studded with sky blue. They are carpets of Prospero autumnale (syn. Scilla autumnalis, autumn squill, mauve) & Muscari parviflorum (autumn grape hyacinth, blue). They seem to do best where very thin soil keeps down the competition, though one could argue that in such situations they are simply more obvious. Love 'em.

[Alisdair]

This little autumn scilla is probably the most abundant of all Mediterranean wild bulbs, millions of them in Greece alone, widespread elsewhere in Europe (it occurs even in the UK) and as Mike says forming lovely drifts of mauve. For another picture click here.

[JTh]

When I was in Cyprus two years ago, I was kindly invited by Alisdair and Helena on a short excursion after the MGS metting, and in addtion to seeing Colchicum troodi, I also spotted several scillas (Prospero) that were pure white. I thought I had discovered something new and exciting, but Oron told me that it was just an albino form which occurs from time to time. It was beautiful, though, I got the impression that the flowers were slightly larger than the regular ones, but I did not measure them.

[John]

I know this was posted before but it isn't listed in the bulbs section. I have repotted a lot of my bulbs late this year including Scilla lingulata. As a result they are just flowering now but I thought I would mention the unusual flowering compared to other species. The top flower opens first then they open downwards. This also occurs in some orchids e.g. Orchis simia. I should also mention the scent which is very nice and strong.

[Paul T.]

Mike,

The Prospero autumnale is not a species I've seen available here in Aus.  By the looks of it there are a large range of colours/shades in the wild?  It looks like a beauty, particularly when flowering in autumn when the other Scillas aren't. 

Thanks for showing us.

Love the albino form as well, JTh.

[JTh]

Yes, they are beautiful, but tiny.
I see that there are 33 synonyms for this plant (8 different genera), according to The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-285270). I have seen one single reference to another true albino form, from Malta (http://www.maltawildplants.com/HYCN/Prospero_autumnale.php, see images almost at the end of that website).

[John]

I grow two albino forms which I collected on Crete when I had a license. They are quite fleeting but very attractive. No picture to hand!

[MikeHardman]

Paul T. - variability of colour - you've got me wondering now, especially now I've seen the albino (thanks Jorun).
Amongst the ones I remember seeing here, I had not been struck differing colour. And it is too late to look now for this season.
Meanwhile, here's another example
http://www.mikehardman.com/places/panthea/img4/prospero-autumnalis-in-flower-akamas.jpg

[John]

Scilla autumnalis has had a mention elsewhere and it is also now called Prospero autumnalis. This is a similar species from North Africa, Tunisia I believe. Prospero aristidis which I think is a bit chunkier than autumnalis.

[Paul T.]

Pretty little thing, isn't it.  Is it pink, or mauvey coloured?

[oron peri]

John

I think the scilla in your photo is Barnardia numidica   syn. Scilla numidica.
while Scilla aristidis, now Hyacinthoides aristidis is similar to Hyacinthoides lingulata only that it has wider leaves.
Both are native to N. Africa. [Tunisia]