Urginea is a genus in the Hyacinthaceae family. Urginea is consist of about 100 species of bulbous perennials. They are mainly found on dry, rocky hillsides, on sandy soils near coasts or on plains or savannah, mostly in tropical Africa, with a few in the Mediterranean. They have narrowly linear, basal leaves, and are grown for their star or saucer shaped flowers. Produced in long, erect, dense racemes on leafless stems in summer and autumn. Some species are frost hardy others are not, so in cold areas, frost hardy species should be used.

Urginea maritima is the giant among all Mediterranean geophytes. In spite of the specific name, this species is by far more common inland than on the sea. Sea Squill grows in open spaces on shallow stony soils, with the bulbs totally above the ground. Several layers of papery tunics (like at onion –Allium cepa-) protect the bulbs from the sun and occasional fires don’t harm them at all. Rodents don’t eat the bulbs since they are poisonous. The bulbs split dichotomously from the apex rather than forming basal offsets and in time they grow to massive clumps up to 20 heads, each one reaching up to 30cm in diameter and 60cm high. Two forms are known. The one with brown reddish outer tunics, is sometime referred as var. rubra. This form is usually found inland and gets to be a bigger size. The other form has whitish outer tunics and is referred as var. alba. Both forms have whitish inner tunics. Variability is also present in the flowers, which appear from the bare bulbs in late August. Some individuals have white flowers with a distinct pink midrib on the tepals and in extreme cases the flowers are all pinkish; others have totally white flowers. Flower stalks grow to 100cm high. Leaves are dull green with a bluish waxy bloom and are a towering presence in winter, above seasonal short grasses.

In human phytotherapy  the dried bulb of the white variety of Urginea maritimia (Squill) is used orally diuretic, emetic, expectorant, ve cardiotonic. Daily oral doses for adults range from 30 to 500mg.

Urginea maritimia is easly grown in a dry, sunny position in sandy soil. Propagation is from seeds or dividing the bulbs.

The squill makes attraction with large, showy leaves in winter and with the attractive star-shaped flowers in autumn. It may be used together with other kind of bulbs as a group. Especially in geofit gardens the spring and summer garden flowers in autumn and winter flowering species are used in conjunction with the appearance of leaves and complements.