SCILLA

The squills. Can be naturalized under trees and shrubs and in grass.

Genus of about 90 species of bulbous perennials found in a wide range of habitats including subalpine meadows, rocky slopes, woodland and sea shores in Europe, southern Africa and Asia.

The epithet "peruviana" was born of confusion. This western Mediterranean bulb was transported on a ship named "Peru", certainly not from South America.

The carpets of blue seen particularly on western coastal slopes are S. verna, the spring squill. The more uncommon autumn squill, S. autumnalis is also found on dry grasland near the sea in the south of England.