Western Isles Wildflowers

Western Isles wildflowers is a collection of information about our Hebridean wildflowers including identification hints, traditional herbal uses and general plant lore.

 

Spring Squill

Scilla subsp. verna

Gaelic name: Lear-uinnean

Spring squill likes cliff-tops and maritime heaths, with short grass.

This wildflower is a member of the lily family and grows from a bulb.

The grassy leaves of spring squill come out in early spring followed soon by it's pale violet-blue star-like flowers. (Very occasionally the flowers are white)

The plant grows to about 15cm or 6 inches tall.

Spring squill has blue anthers, these are the parts on the ends of the stamens which carry the pollen grains.

This wildflower flowers April - June.

The latin name verna means "of spring", spring squill is one of the first flowers about, but by the time it is coming to the end of it's flowering season moor and machair have started to burst into colour with an abundance of flowering species.

Spring squill is a native plant of the Western Isles.

Detail Photography © Kim Park
Mangersta - Uig - Isle of Lewis - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
4th June, 2006

Visit Kim's web site of her photography of the Western Isles
www.bigbigskies.co.uk