How does one tell the difference between Hyacinthoides non-scripta subsp.hispanica, Wood Hyacinth and Scilla siberica, Siberian Squill? I thought I had Squill but now I'm thinking these are Wood Hyacinths. Can someone help me decide?
Whichever they are, they are so very happy at my house! In fact, they are trying to take over from my trilliums. So after they got their picture taken, they got the scissors treatment. Brought the blooms in to enjoy and added the leaves to the compost pile.
baa, I don't have an answer to your question, but the pinks in your pic sure look like my pink spanish hyacinths. I bought these plants in winter of 2005. They did nothing in 2006. I was utterly surprised when I saw a bunch of blooms in Spring 2007, immature bulbs, maybe? I bought mine from either B&B or Easy to Grow bulbs. don't remember.
Ah, now another maybe for these little bulbs. Hope someone knows which I have.
Definitely not Siberian Squill (Scilla sibirica), but I am not up on the differences on the other types. For all I know, Spanish hyacinth and Wood hyacinth could be the same. (That is in no way a suggestion, BTW.)
This is Siberian Squill:
http://www.briansgarden.com/pictures/squill.jpg
let me correct myself - I have Spanish Bluebells (except mine are white and pink) aka hyacinthoides hispanica. I don't know where I got the name spanish hyacinths.
Thank you Leftwood. That picture was much more definitive. One down, two to go. May find out what these happy little bulbs are yet.
They are definitely Spanish Hyacinths (aka Spanish Bluebells, Wood Hyacinth). I bought a package once and the three colours (blue, white, pink) all bloomed as are yours.
Hyacinthoides non-scripta subsp.hispanica, Wood Hyacinth or Spanish Bluebells they are it seems. They are setting seed now. If anyone wants any bulbs or seeds, let me know. I've got to remove some that are trying to crowd out my trillium. Just waiting for it to die down for the summer before I bother that part of the bed.
Does anyone know the characteristic difference between the English (H. non-spripta) and Spanish bluebells (H. hispanica)?
I read that the English are taller, but how would one know the difference with only one or the other? (And regardless of the fact that the Spanish is more often sold for gardens)
One way to tell the difference if you only have the blossom to look at is that the tepals on the English are curled 360 (fully reflexed eventually--when they are matured) while those of the Spanish are reflexed to a much lesser extent. This is the easiest way for me.
Another way if the blossoms can't be observed clearly is that in hispanica, the blossoms are generally fully around the stem, while in non-scripta they usually hang on one side.
R.
Splendid, thanks Robert.
I'll look closer next year while they are blooming. Thanks to all for sharing your knowledge.
Could you put that info on both of them in Plantfiles, please?
