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Squill

Quick facts

Squill (Scilla siberica) is a popular landscape plant that can be invasive. 

  • Squill readily spreads itself and is hardy and cold tolerant.
  • Often found in wooded areas in early spring, emerging and blooming right after snow melts. 
  • Please report this species so we can better understand its distribution in the wild.

Squill is a spring ephemeral, emerging early and blooming right after the snow melts. It is a hardy, cold-tolerant plant, and it has historically been a favorite of gardeners for its striking blue flowers.

Unfortunately, squill naturalizes easily, spreading quickly by self-seeding and bulb offshoots. Due to its rapid spread and tolerance to various conditions, this non-native species has the potential to become an invasive plant.

Squill is easy to identify by its vivid flowers in early spring.

How to identify squill

  • Stem: One or more arching, hairless flower stalks form from the center of the rosette.
  • Leaves: 5-inch-long, grass-like, hairless leaves emerge from one point.
  • Flowers: 1-inch-wide, bell-shaped flowers occur singly or in a group of 2-3 at the top of a slim stem.
    • Consists of six flaring, blue petals with a dark blue center strip and six white stamens with blue tips.
    • Flower color may vary by variety and include white, pink, or violet.
  • Seeds: Seed capsules are green and bumpy, turning brown as they mature and split to produce dark, reddish-brown seeds.
  • Roots: Bulb

Common look-alikes

  • Crocus (Crocus vernus) is one of the first plants to emerge and flower in the spring. This non-native bulb is commonly planted in yards and gardens. Flowers have 6 petals, are 2-3 inches across, and range from white to purple.
  • Glory of the snow (Chionodoxa luciliae) is another very early blooming non-native bulb with 6 thin flower petals that are purple with white near the center.

Controlling and reporting squill

  • Mow during bloom to remove seed heads and reduce spreading by seed.
  • Thin by digging after bloom and before the seeds set.
  • Compost the plants. It is critical to get composting temperatures to at least 130°F to ensure the plants die.
  • While squill is not regulated as a noxious weed, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s weed disposal guide has good advice on managing the disposal of unwanted plants.
  • Monitoring the area each spring is important for continued control.

Please report squill that has escaped, not squill in a tended garden. As with all non-native species found in unmanaged areas, report findings of this species using one of the following methods: 

Authors: Angela Gupta, Amy Rager and Megan M. Weber, Extension educators 

Reviewed in 2025

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© 2025 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.