84. Sea Squill

Go for a stroll right now in a spot of rocky countryside and you are bound to see them: finger-thin, ramrod straight stalks growing right out of the ground, some as tall as you, and all ending in a long tapering head of lovely white flowers. The Sea Squill (M: Ghansar) is easily the most eye-catching wildflower right now. And yet not a leaf in sight! The large bright green leaves that grew last autumn and winter and churned food from sunlight are now a faded memory, their job done and the plant¹s huge bulb fully recharged. It is now the reproduction machine that is in session, as the squill sports that amazing plume of flowers. Despite the name we often meet Sea Squill inland, but let¹s face it: how far from the sea can you really be in this country?

Text by Victor Falzon, photo by Desirée Falzon.

Copyright to Birdlife Malta.