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Siberian Squill
Scilla siberica
Siberian Squill blooms from March through April.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Siberian Squill
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 2–8. Expect it to reach about 6 in tall and 3 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Siberian Squill
Siberian Squill is a fall-planted bulb: get it in the ground 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes, typically September or October in zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 2 to 8. It pays you back the following March to April.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in September. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Siberian Squill get?
6 intall5 ft 7 inan adult3 inwideSee Siberian Squill in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
Where these facts come from
Siberian Squill's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenScilla sibericaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenScilla siberica 'Spring Beauty'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Society (Scilla siberica)height, spread, sun and years to mature size
- John ScheepersScilla siberica Spring Beautyheight, hardiness zones and sun
- netherlandbulb.comNetherland Bulb Company (Scilla siberica 'Siberian Squill')height, hardiness zones and sun
- Van EngelenScilla siberica albaheight, hardiness zones and sun
- Iowa State University ExtensionSiberian Squillsun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionScilla sibericasun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
5 more colors in the Scilla group
Same genus, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Scilla group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | Blue | Mar–Apr | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 4 in × 3 in |
| Early | Blue | Feb–Mar | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 4 in × 3 in |
| Portuguese | Purple | May–Jun | Zones 8–10 | Full sun | 12 in × 6 in |
| Siberianthis page | Blue | Mar–Apr | Zones 2–8 | Full sun | 6 in × 3 in |
| Spring Beauty | Blue | Mar–Apr | Zones 2–8 | Full sun | 7 in × 3 in |
| White | White | Mar–Apr | Zones 2–8 | Full sun | 6 in × 3 in |
Good to know about Siberian Squill
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Safety
All parts are poisonous, a high-severity poison holding cardiac glycosides that slow the heart. Eating it causes mouth pain, nausea, vomiting, cramping and diarrhea. per NC State
Worth knowing
One toxin explains three traits at once: the same cardiac glycosides that poison people and pets are why deer, rabbits and rodents all leave it alone. per NC State and Iowa State
Cold limit varies by source
Sources split on the cold end: Penn State Arboretum lists zones 3 to 8, Missouri Botanical Garden rates it to zone 2. Reliable to zone 3, or 2 with snow. per Penn State and Missouri Botanical Garden
Escapes into wild areas
It self-seeds and offsets aggressively, escaping lawns into woodlands and natural areas across the Upper Midwest and Northeast, and is hard to eradicate. Check your state's invasive list. per University of Minnesota and Iowa State
Spreads into blue carpets
Left undisturbed, it multiplies by offsets and self-sown seed into spreading deep-blue carpets and drifts under trees, in rock gardens, borders and lawns, returning every year. per Iowa State
Early food for bees
Among the first bulbs to open right after snowmelt, its flowers feed overwintered and newly emerged bees when little else is blooming. per Iowa State and Penn State
Plant in fall, in drifts
Plant the small bulbs in fall in generous drifts (Iowa State suggests 100 or more), pointed end up, 3 to 4 in deep and 2 to 3 in apart. per Iowa State
What pairs well with Siberian Squill
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; stands well above at 3.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Bergenia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; overlaps, then carries the display into late spring; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 3.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Blue Oat Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 3.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Ninebark
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its white flowers settle the blue.
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