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Cuba Lily Wikimedia Commons
Asparagaceae

Cuba Lily

Scilla peruviana

Misplaced identity.

Family
Asparagaceae
Genus
Scilla
Native to
Mediterranean region, Portugal, North Africa
Bloom season
Spring
Type
bulb
Height
0.5-1.5 ft
Sunlight
full sun to part shade
Soil
well-drained soil
Water
moderate
Hardiness
7-10
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Despite the species name 'peruviana,' this plant is not from Peru; Linnaeus named it after the ship 'Peru' that brought it to him.
  • Each dense, dome-shaped flower cluster can contain over 100 individual star-shaped florets.
  • Cuba lily is neither from Cuba nor a true lily; the common name is thought to derive from a corruption of 'Scilla' to 'squill.'
  • The bulbs were used in ancient Mediterranean medicine as an expectorant, though they are mildly toxic.
  • In its native habitat around the Mediterranean, it goes dormant in summer heat and returns with autumn rains.

Color meanings

0

mystery

1

Mediterranean beauty

Uses

  • Mediterranean garden
  • container specimen