The Ridge Historical Society
Little Blue Flowers
By Carol Flynn
I post this every spring because the topic always comes up:
Springtime is here on the Ridge – finally. And many lawns are covered with a little blue flower. This is Siberian squill (Scilla sibirica), which is not native to the USA but was introduced by European settlers. I find a lot of mentions of this plant in horticulture materials from the 1870s and on (although I am sure it was in the "New World" long before that). It was commonly recommended and used in gardens by that time. I do not know when the first Siberian squill bulb was introduced on the Ridge but many of the fine houses on Prospect Ave. date back to that time. It is considered an invasive plant which has replaced native wild flowers in some areas, but the good news is that bees love this plant. This photo is a past view of the Dr. German House at 10924 S. Prospect Ave., with its front lawn of Siberian squill. The close-up of the plant is from the Ridge Historical Society grounds.