Scilla-släktets användningsmöjligheter i Sverige : med utgångspunkt i ståndort, egenskaper och historia

Abstract: This study investigates the main question “How can the small, blue spring bulb genera Chionodoxa, Puschkinia and Scilla be used in Swedish outdoor settings, with main focus on the genus Scilla?” This is done by answering four sub-questions: Which of these Scilla-species are hardy in Sweden? Which are their characteristics and habitats? What does their history of application look like? What is commercially available today? The aim of the work has been to make a survey of hardy and available Scilla-species, their character-istics, field of application and history. The purpose is to create a tool in the work with geophytes in different outdoor settings in Sweden, and to contribute to the discussion of new fields of application for bulb plants, such as Chionodoxa, Puschkinia and Scilla. The questions are answered through literature studies and discus-sions with knowledgeable persons in the field. First, an investigation and a survey of Scilla-species hardy and commercially available in Sweden, will be presented, where information of appearance, charac-teristics, habitats, varieties and historical and present application of the species will be found. With this background, a discussion around all the questions, today’s use and also new fields of application, has been carried through. The conclusions made from this study, are that there are today 15 Scilla-species commercially available and hardy for the Swedish climate. These species can be divided into two groups, one group for half-shady and semi-humid locations, as well as one for sunny and dry locations, but their characteristics are so different so they could be used in many different settings. Historically, the species have been used in principle as they are today; the difference lies in which species that is popular.