Beautiful Spring Squill Can Be Invasive: Arrest The Pest

I've been trying to plant flowers like ferns, lilies, and lilacs around my new home in St. Cloud, and this year I decided to head out into my backyard a couple weeks ago, to see what survived the winter, and search for any other signs of spring.

I came across the most beautiful tiny blue flowering plant, and took pictures of it. I showed them to my Mom who also thought they were quite beautiful.

Today, I was trying to search online to see exactly what this pretty little spring flowering plant is, and what I found on The Minnesota Extension website was Squill.

Now here's the thing. Squill IS very beautiful. Apparently, a lot of people use Squill as a popular landscaping plant. However; it CAN become invasive.

THE FACTS ABOUT SQUILL

• Squill spreads itself easily and is cold tolerant.
• It's often found in wooded areas right after the snow melts.
• The U of M Extension is asking you to report it if you have it so they can understand its spread and distribution.

The U of M is asking you; if the plant has "shown up" in your yard, and is not part of a tended garden, that you report it to them, as it can spread very quickly and become invasive. Squill have bulbs and will continue to spread if you do not take care of it.

HOW TO CONTROL SQUILL

I guess I'm no expert on Squill, but I did find these recommendations on how to control it. I was really hoping that I could let it grow in my backyard, as I don't have a very nice backyard lawn, but now I'm not so sure. I did report it to the U of M by using this APP. If you have any other unknown plants growing in your yard or surroundings, you can also report them. Just download the app EDDMapS.

• Mow over them after they bloom to remove the seed heads to help prevent spreading.
• Thin by digging them after they bloom and before seed set and composting plants.
• Monitor the area each spring to maintain control.
• You do not have to dispose of the plant in any special way.