The Giant Scilla is the largest bulb in the world. Its lush leaves appear in the fall and die back during winter. In the spring, tall stems emerge, reaching up to five feet, resembling the foxtail lily. A smaller version, the Delicate Scilla, grows to three feet. Both varieties look similar in the garden. The largest scilla bulbs are as big as a soccer ball, while the smaller ones are the size of a grapefruit.
In the first year, after the foliage dies back in summer, the flower stems emerge. The florets bloom from the bottom up, similar to foxtail lilies. When in bloom, the bulbs appear exposed, much like Naked Ladies, with no foliage.
When in bloom, the bulbs look like naked ladies with part of the bulb visible and no foliage.
Planting the Giant Scilla and the Delicate Scilla:
- Prepare the soil with lots of loose material and add sand if the soil is heavy. I used an old compost pile and added coarse builders sand in order to maximize drainage. These desert adapted bulbs cannot sit in wet ground.
- Part of the bulb should be exposed after planting and these even rose up a little more as they developed roots. You can see this in the first photograph. Its roots spread out over a good distance and so are not really useful in pots (plus they could be damaged by frost more easily).
The second year shows even more foliage, undamaged by frost. However, the aloe planted nearby looks a bit stressed. These bulbs thrive in well-drained soil and are not suited for pots.
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