Nederlands: Vroege sterhyacint
Español:
Français: Scille à deux feuilles - Étoile bleue
Deutsch: Zweiblättrige Blaustern - Sternhyazinthe - Zweiblättrige Meerzwiebel
Family: Asparagaceae - Asparagus family
Flowering time: March-June
Height: 10-25cm
Altitude: to 2000m
Colour: violet-blue, rarely white or lilac
Leaves: two or rarely three, broadly linear, lance-shaped, curved, fleshy, shiny
Habitat: shady places, woods of beech or deciduous trees, mountain meadows
Distribution: native to central and southern Europe (Belgium most northern country)
Notes: The flowering stems of Scilla bifolia are erect and unbranched. It grows from a bulb and the raceme bears six to ten flowers. The foliage of Alpine Squill will remain for a short time after flowering and then quickly die back in mid to late spring. This species spreads via seeds and dividing bulbs. It can form large carpets, for example in the northern Bovenrijndal in Germany. In this country Scilla bifolia is on the Red List of vascular plants and legally protected. In the Netherlands Alpine Squill is offered as a garden plant and has naturalized in forest parks. It can be found next to the Siberian squill, a relative that flowers at the same time. Both species are important nectar plants for honey bees in early spring.
Related key words: Rotterdam Kralingse Bos, Botanische tuin Kralingen, stinzenplant, stinzenflora, Stinsenplanze, plantes castrale, Alps
