Scilla madeirensis at Kew

[mark smyth]

A very impressive Scilla at Kew http://www.kew.org/news/kew-blogs/giant-madeiran-squill.htm and I want one 

[TheOnionMan]

wow, that is impressive.  I like the pots with just the mounded bulbs before any leaves or flowers!

[mark smyth]

I do also. They look like Hyacinthus non scripta bulbs that have been eposed to the sun

[Carlo]

I WANT it.

[Maren]

I saw them last week in the Kew Alpine house and was completely bowled over. There were two large terracotta pots filled with these magnificent flowers, about 2 1/2 ft high, sorry 75 cm. The flowers looked like a sky blue form of Scilla peruviana.

What also struck me was that the foliage was completely pristine and unmarked. I took a chance and said to the attendant: "Amazing what they can do with plastic these days!". Fortunately she understood the joke and that it was meant as a compliment. We had a long chat about cultivation. Sadly I didn't have my camera on me. I may go back next week.

[Paddy Tobin]

By chance, Mary brought back a plant, a single growing bulb, from Madeira recently. We saw it growing in the Botanic Gardens in Funchal though only a very few were in  flower. It looked as though clumps had been divided earlier in the year and there were many single growing spikes and only a few clumps. Those in clumps were in flower while the single bulbs were not, obviously delayed by the disturbance.

Photograph from the Botanic Gardens, Funchal, below.

Paddy

[angie]

I WANT it.

So do I

Mark thanks for showing us it, it's really nice.

Angie

[WimB]

If you want to try it from seed, you can find it here: http://www.rareplants.de/shop/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=8770&strPageHistory=search&numSearchStartRecord=1

[Darren]

A kind Madeiran forumist sent me some seed a couple of years ago. Take a hint from the pictures and grow it with the bulbs at the surface . I didn't realise this and now have few survivors as they are prone to rot if buried 

[Paul T]

Strikingly beautiful.  Thanks for showing us Mark and Paddy.

[Arda Takan]

Even the colour of the tunic of the bulbs is amazing!