Grape Hyacinth – Animal Resistant, Long Lasting, and Beautiful

Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) is an early blooming, perennial bulb in the Lily Family (Liliaceae) native to southeastern Europe. Not a true Hyacinth, the common name comes from the resemblance of the clusters of the small, bell-shaped, cobalt-blue flowers to upside-down clusters of grapes. Grape hyacinth is hardy in zones 3-9.

Many people dismiss these common flowers as they thrive so easily, are very small, and easy to miss.  But planted in a mass they make a statement in the landscape and draw early flying pollinators.  Planted underneath fruit trees, Grape Hyacinths can increase the likelihood of the trees becoming pollinated by early foraging bees. My honeybees cluster on them as soon as they bloom and it is an important source of early nectar for them. Even though Grape Hyacinths aren’t native, they are providing a valuable resource when not many flowers are available.

Emerging from the ground in spring, the long linear leaves are followed by the flowers and the foliage dies back in the early summer and disappears to emerge again in the fall. Lasting for many years, Grape Hyacinths multiply without any help and you are sure to welcome their appearance every spring by plucking a few flowers and bringing them inside to enjoy.

Each bulb produces one to three small flower stalks tightly packed with the grape like clusters and if you examine them closely, a white band edges the rim of the flowers.

Excellent as cut flowers and for forcing, they naturalize readily and spread around, seeding into my lawn even. Some people claim they are invasive, but I encourage the bulbs to spread as I love the cobalt blue flowers in the spring and most importantly, deer and rabbits leave them alone!

Good for planting in rock gardens and on pathways, the most famous planting is the ‘Blue River’ of grape hyacinths at Keukenhof in the Netherlands. Mixing well with other bulbs, you can even populate your meadow with this diminutive beautiful bulb for a shot of blue.

Inexpensive, you can splash these around with abandon where you want an early shot of color. Good in masses and loose drifts, grape hyacinths mix well with other spring bulbs like crocus and tulips  – my favorite companion is the giant snowdrop, Leucojum.

Grow grape hyacinth in well-drained soil in sun to shade – sun for maximum flowering, in partial shade for longer lasting bloom. Like daffodils, leave the foliage up to photosynthesize after flowering, to contribute energy to the bulb’s growth the following spring. Falling dormant for the summer, the foliage will emerge again in the fall.

Grape Hyacinths come in hues of purple, yellow, blue, and white and add a sweet grape bubblegum scent to your home when placed in a vase. Easy to grow in pots, I pack the bulbs in closely in the pot and cover them with a couple of inches of potting soil and place them in my darkened cold frame that has the light blocked with shades. Staying tucked in all winter long, I took a peek in the early spring, and the Grape Hyacinths have emerged with their strap-like foliage.

Most online sources have at least several varieties to pick from and Longfield Gardens provided mine along with some mini daffodils. American Meadows also has a great selection.

There are about 40 species of Muscari, but only a few are widely available.

• M. azureum – has bright blue flowers that open more widely than M. armeniacum. This 4-6” tall species blooms in early spring. The variety M. azureum alba has white flowers.
• M. armeniacum ‘Fantasy Creation’- a double that has been said to look like broccoli
• ‘Blue Spike’ – has flax blue flowers with double florets on branched flower spikes.
• ‘Carneum’ – has pinkish flowers.
• ‘Cantab’ – has sky blue, slightly fragrant flowers and blooms slightly later than the standard type.
  

• M. comosum, or tassel hyacinth – blooms in late spring, with purplish brown flowers on 8-12” plants.
• M. latifolium – this native of pine forests in Turkey produces a single leaf from each bulb. It blooms in early spring with bi-colored flowers clusters that have pale blue florets on top and are dark blue-black on the bottom.
• ‘Superstar’ – has densely packed periwinkle-blue florets edged in white, topped with a cap of paler florets.