Peruvian Lily (Scilla peruviana)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 7a -17.8 °C (0 °F) to -15 °C (5 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 10b
Plant Height:	18-22 inches
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Blue
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Spring
Underground structures:	Bulb
Toxicity:	Leaves are poisonous Roots are poisonous Fruit is poisonous
Propagation: Other methods:	Bulbs
Containers:	Suitable in 1 gallon

Common names

Peruvian Lily
Giant Squill
Portuguese Squill
Cuban Lily
Caribbean Lily
Hyacinth of Peru

Photo Gallery

Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2015-03-31

Uploaded by dave

Location: At a public garden
Date: 2009-04-01

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2014-03-25

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Location: Blenheim New Zealand
Date: 2018-10-02

Uploaded by bootandall

Location: j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
Date: 2024-04-02

Uploaded by drirastucker

Uploaded by jon

Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2014-04-03

Uploaded by dave

Uploaded by dave

Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-03-07

Uploaded by LoriMT

Location: my Zone 7b garden in North Georgia Mountains
Date: 2023-03-13

Uploaded by LoriMT

Location: RHS Wisley, Surrey, UK.
Date: 2023-04-22

Uploaded by RachaelHunter

Location: my Zone 7b garden in North Georgia Mountains
Date: 2023-03-20

Uploaded by LoriMT

Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2014-04-12
#Pollination

Uploaded by dave

Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2006-04-05

Uploaded by zuzu

Location: Meise botanical garden
Date: 2022-05-17

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by Neela

Location: RHS Harlow Carr alpine house
Date: 2022-04-30

Uploaded by kniphofia

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: My garden
Date: 2018-12-02
Bulbs are not healthy

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-06-11

Uploaded by Joy

Location: my Zone 7b garden in North Georgia Mountains
Date: 2023-03-03

Uploaded by LoriMT

Location: Front garden
Date: 2019-09-01
Peruvian lilly

Uploaded by Tanika1996

Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2009-03-28

Uploaded by zuzu

Location: Hortus Camera Lapidea
Date: 2023-04-30

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-03-19
Just starting to open.

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Uploaded by jon

Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-04-09
Felicia 'Tight and Tidy' at the top.

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Uploaded by sugarcane

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by Tanika1996

Location: Madrid, Spain | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-08

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Wouw Netherlands
Date: 2011-06-06

Uploaded by Ferenc

Uploaded by Ferenc

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2013-03-15

Uploaded by dave

Location: Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2016-03-20
Zone 9b.

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Location: Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Date: June
credit: Magnus Manske

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2015-03-02
Peruvian Lily (Scilla peruviana) Zone 9b

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Joy

Location: my Zone 7b garden in North Georgia Mountains
Date: 2022-12-01

Uploaded by LoriMT

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2016-03-28
Zone 9b. One of the 63 native bees, identified within Hamilton Sq

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Uploaded by dave

Uploaded by jon

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by sequoia

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Orem, Utah
Date: 2012-04-02
At Sunriver Nursery

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Orem, Utah
Date: 2012-04-02
At Sunriver Gardens

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Orem, Utah
Date: 2012-04-02
At Vineyard Gardens

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by piksihk

Photo Courtesy of Secret Garden Growers.

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by treehugger

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by treehugger

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by jon

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by scvirginia on Apr 26, 2022 1:24 PM concerning plant:

Despite the name, this plant is native to the Mediterranean... Spain, Portugal and Northwest Africa. Not from Peru or Cuba, or anywhere in the New World.

Reply to this comment
Posted by LoriMT (Dawsonville, GA - Zone 8a) on Dec 1, 2022 4:56 PM concerning plant:

Scilla peruviana is a stunning early-spring flower in my zone 7b North Georgia Garden. The whirls of strappy leaves emerge in mid-winter from autumn-planted bulbs. Buds start to show in late February, and the beautiful purple blooms begin to open in early March. The flower is unique in form, and the color is a nice complement to the yellow daffodils blooming at the same time. While the plant was blooming, we experienced a 17-degree hard freeze, which melted the existing blooms; 2 weeks later, all the plants had new blooms. Although this perennial is supposedly cold-hardy to zone 7a, only 1 of 5 plants returned the following year in my zone 7b garden. The flower is so unique I plant new bulbs each year.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Skiekitty (Denver Metro - Zone 5a) on Mar 20, 2013 12:20 PM concerning plant:

Supposedly this plant does NOT make a good cut flower as it supposedly will smell of cat urine if the stem or leaves are bruised or cut.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
got2b	On February 26, 2016	Transplanted
got2b	On February 25, 2016	Obtained plant 2 x quart size f. Home Depot
Yorkshirelass	On April 1, 2016	Obtained plant Flowered well in first year, nothing subsequently
piksihk	On April 5, 2025	Transplanted Front of lavender vine
piksihk	On December 6, 2024	Potted up 3 bulbs from easy to grow bulbs
piksihk	On October 1, 2020	Plant emerged Leaves! I didnt think they were still alive.
piksihk	On April 8, 2019	Transplanted Potted
piksihk	On April 1, 2019	Miscellaneous Event Survived winter in greenhouse;
piksihk	On March 29, 2019	Obtained plant Brought a small pot with two scapes from Ellis
piksihk	On December 7, 2018	Plant emerged
piksihk	On December 2, 2018	Potted up
piksihk	On December 1, 2018	Obtained plant Van Z. Bulbs looks like they are very unhealthy but has some green growth coming up. Others layers were cut away and bulbs are very small.

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Scilla Peruvian Lily (Scilla peruviana)

Scilla
Peruvian Lily (Scilla peruviana)