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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Hyacinths
Ahhh! The scent of hyacinth is intoxicating in springtime! And who can resist the tiny blue Muscari? Learn more about planting these spring-flowering bulbs as well as caring for the pretty pastel flowers after they bloom.
About Hyacinths and Grape Hyacinths
- Hyacinths (Hyacinthus): Originally a pale blue or violet flower, hyacinths now come in a rainbow of colors, including lilacs, pinks, white, cobalt blue, cream, apricot, and even a blood-red hue. Each hyacinth bulb generally produces one flower stalk that stands 8 to 10 inches tall. The hyacinth鈥檚 loose-to-dense racemes (clusters) of strongly fragrant flowers may be closely packed single or double flowers.
- Grape hyacinths (Muscari) are not directly related to true hyacinths, but also bloom in mid-spring and have the same care requirements. This tiny wonder has small clusters of bell-shaped, cobalt-blue flowers.
Note: This page will refer to both Hyacinthus and Muscari plants as 鈥渉yacinths鈥 for simplicity鈥檚 sake!
As hyacinths are one of the first blooms, they look best at the front of a perennial garden, near the front door, along a walkway, or in mixed borders. These beauties are also a great choice for pots and planters. Hyacinths make wonderful cutting flowers, too, and look stunning in bouquets. As the flowers are famous for their fragrance, you can bring the sweet scent of spring inside!
The Victorians revered hyacinths for their sweet, lingering fragrance, and carefully massed them in low beds, planting them in rows of one color each. In general, hyacinths are said to symbolize playfulness, sport, and rashness, though their meanings are color-dependent. Learn more about the meanings of flowers.
Please note: Most hyacinths grow in zones 3 to 9. They must have cold temperatures of 40掳 to 45掳F (4掳 to 7掳C) for at least 12 to 14 weeks. If temperatures in your area do not get this cold, you鈥檒l need to pre-chill the bulbs in a refrigerator before planting them outdoors.
Warning: Hyacinth bulbs (and daffodil bulbs) contain a substance called oxalic acid, which can be irritating to bare skin. Use gloves when handling these bulbs for extended periods.
Catherine Boeckmann
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i bought a few fully grown hyacinths from a local nursery, a week after i planted them on my garden the temperature dropped and it has been raining for a full week, temps are in the 40's and 50's. I noticed today that the flowers are starting to turn brown. I am not sure if the excess water so close to the day i planted them did not allow the root to grab a hold and they are just going to die.
I am in NJ and a first time gardener.
Hyacinths do turn brown after they are done blooming. They will not bloom again this year. Just leave them in the ground and let the leaves die back naturally. Next spring you will have nice new blooms.
Mine are in water vase. I went to change the water and some roots came out. What do i do. I live in area 10. Can I pot it up in a clay pot?
I've read through the comments, and am still unsure whether I should water the blooming hyacinths that are in the ground, or those that I have in posts. I don't want to overwater and rot the bulbs, (and I have killed them very successfully in the past by doing this), but I don't think the bulbs should receive no moisture whatsoever? Thank you.
Unless you are having an exceptionally dry spring, your hyacinths don’t require much extra watering—maybe just once or twice a week if rain is absent. Once the hyacinths have stopped blooming and start to yellow and droop, no more watering is necessary.
I am a very new gardener in a quest to successfully grow hyacinths. I live in northeastern Canada (Zone 5b) and planted 5 bulbs in containers back in January, left them outside, and they never sprouted. I bought a discounted Hyacinth plant that looked quite wilted, and promptly cut down the "sad" droopy looking leaves (oops!). Is there any way to save the potted plant where I trimmed most of the leaves? The plant had bloomed but the flowers had died in-store. Any advice on the potted plant or planting hyacinths in containers in zone 5b would be appreciated.
Most bulbs need their foliage; it enables them to prepare themselves for the next growing season before the foliage dies back. So without it, the plant is severely handicapped. If you do again buy such forced bulbs that have ppassed their peak, put them aside until the foliage dies back, then plant the bulbs. You are likely to get a flower the next spring.
Planting bubs in containers can be tricky because the container’s conditions are not like those of the in-ground soil. The moisture level is different, the temp of the soil, ice/snow exposure, if the container is outside. If the container is inside (say in a garage or the like, the bulbs are still challenged by 鈥渦nnatural鈥 conditions鈥攍ack of moisture, being one. You could plant the container (make sure it has drainage holes!) and lift it (take it up) in the spring.
If at all possible, the best bet is to plant spring-blooming bulbs in the fall, before the ground is frozen. Zone 5 is relatively temperate; you should have no problems with bulbs in the ground (mulch the surface of the ground, after planting, for added protection, then remove mulch in spring).
We hope this helps!
Live in SOCAL south of LA a few miles from the ocean. Above plants do well first year but do not bloom well if at all in the next year. I was told since we do not have frost they should be dug up and placed in a cold spot in breathable with moss bag in refrigerator. That will help them rest and be ready to bloom next spring. Comments
I have some plants growing that look like hyacinths. The stem and leaves look like hyacinths but the leaves keep getting bigger and bigger and there is no bloom. My other hyacinth plants in the garden have already bloomed. Could it be that these aren't hyacinths? The size of the leaves are leaving me in doubt.
It’s hard to tell without seeing your plants. If your other hyacinths have bloomed already we suspect that these are a different kind of plant. After the leaves have died back you can dig them up and look at the bulbs or roots to try to identify them.
