Seaside Squill in sight! Old wives’ tale suggests that this Maltese plant is a sign of a storm brewing

As the peak of summer begins to die down, summer lovers begin to soak up every moment they’ve got in the sun, while winter babies eagerly await the start of autumn, winter and sweater weather.

According to Maltese Islands Weather, the Seaside Squill (Basal tal-Ghansar in Maltese) hints when a storm is brewing, as it typically blooms right before storms hit land. “Furthermore, a fairly straight stalk indicates a wet autumn and winter, whilst a more crooked stalk indicates a dry autumn and winter,” the weather page notes.

Pembroke Natura 2000 nature park has detailed the plant’s interesting life cycle.

'This plant lives underground as a bulb within which energy and nutrients are stored. In summer, the leaves dry up and it flowers in late summer or autumn using the nutrients in bulb,' the park wrote.

'The flowers gradually dry up and the process of photosynthesis repeats itself at the start of the rainy season, when new shoots and leaves start to come up,' it continued.

That’s why years ago, when meteorology was practically non-existent, people used to rely on the Sea Squill’s life cycle to gauge the start of the rainy season.

If you do happen to come across a Sea Squill, please refrain from picking them as they’re vital for our pollinators!

Not only that, but it’s way more fun to observe this amazing plant in its natural habitat.

Are you more of a summer lover or winter baby?