[8] Its habit of producing leaves in the spring and flowers in the fall is an adaptation to the Mediterranean climate of its native range, where the summers are hot and dry.

Insect pollinators include the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), the Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis), and the paper wasp species Polistes gallicus.

The main active compounds are cardiac glycosides, including unique bufadienolides such as glucoscillaren A, proscillaridine A, scillaren A, scilliglaucoside and scilliphaeoside.

[10] The broad leaves of this plant, when they completely dry out, lose their toxicity and are consumed by cattle and sheep.

It is noted in the Ebers Papyrus of the 16th century BC, one of the oldest medical texts of ancient Egypt.

[9] Its primary medicinal use was as a treatment for edema, then called dropsy, because of the diuretic properties of the cardiac glycosides.

The plant was introduced as an experimental agricultural crop in the 20th century primarily to develop high-toxicity varieties for use as rat poison.

[16] Pythagoras and Dioscorides hung the bulbs with sprouted leaves outside the door in spring as protection against evil spirits.

[5] The bulbs are still gathered and displayed in the winter as part of Greek Christmas and new year's traditions.