# Squills (*scilla*)

Squills are beautiful flowers that bloom in early spring. They come in lovely shades of blue and purple, making gardens bright and cheerful!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Squills thrive in woodlands and meadows across Europe and parts of Asia.
- **Also known as:** Bluebell Squill, Scilla

![Squills](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Scilla_bifolia_070406.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Bernd Haynold, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scilla_bifolia_070406.jpg)

## Appearance

The Squills has slender, strap-like green leaves and striking star-shaped or bell-like flowers, typically in vibrant shades of blue, purple, or sometimes white. These delicate blooms often appear in dense clusters, creating a carpet of colour that stands out vividly against the still-bare ground.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Asparagales
- **Family:** Asparagaceae
- **Genus:** Puschkinia

## Interesting facts

- Many squill species are called 'wood hyacinths' or 'bluebells' because of their look!
- Some squill species have been grown in gardens for hundreds of years!
- Squills often signal the true start of spring, even before trees grow new leaves!
- Tiny ants can carry squill seeds, helping them spread to new places!

## Special abilities

- **Frosty Forager:** Squills can emerge and bloom when other plants are dormant, helping it capture early sunlight and attract early pollinators.
- **Underground Energy Store:** Squills store energy in their bulbs, allowing them to survive harsh winters and rapidly grow new leaves and flowers.
- **Generational Growth:** Squills produces numerous seeds and bulb offsets, allowing it to multiply and form large, colourful colonies over time.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-25 cm
- **Spread:** 5-10 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Provides early nectar and pollen for foraging bees.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — One of the first nectar sources for emerging bumblebee queens.
- **Symbiotic with:** Red Wood Ant (*Formica rufa*) — Ants disperse seeds that have an elaiosome, a fatty food body.
- **Eaten by:** Spanish Slug (*Arion vulgaris*) — Slugs and snails may graze on young leaves and flowers.

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Squills?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Squills?

10-25 cm

### How wide does Squills spread?

5-10 cm

### How big are the flowers on Squills?

1-2 cm

### When does Squills bloom?

Spring

### Is Squills edible?

No

### Is Squills toxic?

Mild

### What is Squills's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-griswold-battlefield-state-park) — Connecticut, US · State Park
- [Hastedter Park am Weserwehr (Bremen)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hastedter-park-am-weserwehr-bremen) — Bremen, DE · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Squills: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/squills)