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Ledebouria socialis 'Paucifolia' (Large Leaf Squill) - A evergreen bulbous plant to only 4 inches tall that grows as tight clusters of ovoid shaped bulbs that remain above the soil surface (epigeous) and having only a few inch wide oblong-lanceolate fleshy and lighter green leaves that are mottled with a darker green. In summer months appear the lax 6-inch-long inflorescences bearing small greenish flowers with purple tinged reflexed petals.
Plant with bulbous part of plant above soil as it will rot if buried. Cold hardy to about 25 degrees F. The prime interest of this plant is actually the foliage , being striped or spotted with purple. This plant grows to only 2-4 inches tall and multiplies into clumps. It prefers very little water in summer but tolerates occasional irrigation and natural rainfall in winter. It takes light shade to full coastal sun and temperatures down to around 25° F.
Ledebouria socialis 'Paucifolia' was originally described by John Gilbert Baker in 1870 as Scilla paucifolia, the same year he described Scilla socialis. John Peter Jessop later revised the genus Scilla and split off several species, reclassifying Scilla socialis into the genus Ledebouria in 1970 and at the same time synonymizing several previously described species such as Scilla paucifolia into Ledebouria socialis. The genus was named to honor the German botanist Dr. Carl F. von Ledebour (1785-1851) and the specific epithet means "social" or "relating to companionship" in reference to the way the plant grows with tightly clustered bulbs. The cultivar name comes from the Latin words 'pauci' meaning "few" and 'folia' meaning "leaves" in reference to this plant having bulbs with only a few leaves.
We first received this plant from Santa Barbara plantswoman Diane Dunhill in the late 1990s and grew and first sold it using the name Ledebouria species and later with the invalid name Ledebouria pauciflora from 1999 until 2010. Though we discontinued growing this plant, it is cherished, and we still have it in garden plantings.
The information displayed on this page about Ledebouria socialis 'Paucifolia' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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