Scilla

Scilla (hurt, harm) was the word used by Hippocrates in reference to the roots containing a violent poison. The scilla commonly used by the Romans and Greeks is the plant we now know as Urginea maritima (Sea onion). The genus Scilla includes about 100 species, but quite a few of these have been absorbed into other genera in recent years (e.g. Scilla non-scripta is now called Hyacinthoides non-scripta). They occur in both tropical and temperate regions from South Africa to the Mediterranean and other parts of Europe and Asia. The star hyacinth belongs in calcareous and humus-poor sandy soil that should not be too dry. Naturalising!