Drimia Species, Giant White Squill, Red Sea Squill, Sea Onion

I had ordered seeds of Scilla natalenses from silver hill seeds ( so. Africa)
And after years of growing the one seedling that ca...Read Moreme up it bloomed........
......urginea maritima !! I've come to appreciate the plant, gorgeous large leaves, and the flower spike is a good upright accent in the garden. For years it didn't set any seed, then it did and I have more young ones set out.
Totally dormant in summer, ( like naked lady bulbs) , do not water, but as the bloom time approaches in late summer/ /fall,
You may want to drench the ground as with naked lady bulbs to ensure a bloom comes up. Blooms without the foliage , which comes up later, after the rains start.
Bulb , like a lot of so. African things ( boweia, albuca, haemanthus) is deadly poisonous, supposed to make a great rat poison.

These bulbs are hardier than assumed, at least to Sunset Zones 5 and 6, or USDA 8a. A plant in a south Portland, Oregon neighborhood has...Read More thrived for years outdoors in a rocky, well drained bed. Another plant on the Washington coast has endured wet winters and temps into the low 20s without a care. Give it as much sun as possible up north and skip the summer water if you can. Worth experimenting with if you live outside of the southern sun belts and have zonal denial.

I puchased 2, 3 years ago they bloomed well the first year and the second but lesser the second, the third year they didn't bloom at all ...Read Moreand I think I may have lost one altogether for no apparent reason this year, they are both treated the same, in the same type containers, same water, in the same area and exposure. One seems to be coming up OK with leaves the other I haven't seen a peep of, as yet not sure all Cali plants are real happy with Fla weather conditions, heat? Humidity? Rain? Altitude? What ever it is they are not blooming here...I sure hope I see the hide of the other one there not cheap and I'm not going to spring for another one!

So far I am satisfied with this. Leaves are finally showing up and looking thick!

It fits well with my drought tolerant ga...Read Morerden.

Until a full year passes, I will come back for more comments on this exciting exotic plant!

I received the bulb, planted the bulb and let the top part of it stick out of the ground. Watered after planting and left it alone. I made sure it was planted in an area where water will not sit!

UPDATE: I planted in 2010 and its 2011, I have a wonderful bloom stalk! =)