Planting, Growing, and Caring for Hyacinths
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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’s 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 “hyacinths” for simplicity’s 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° to 45°F (4° to 7°C) for at least 12 to 14 weeks. If temperatures in your area do not get this cold, you’ll 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.
Planting
Choose a planting site that gets full sun for the largest blooms and straightest stems. The bulbs are tolerant of partial shade as well.
Grow in loosened, moderately fertile soil that drains well. Avoid planting low areas where water collects; hyacinths will rot in wet soil! Before planting, loosen the soil and work in 2 to 4 inches of compost or bonemeal for fertility.
When to Plant Hyacinths
- Like other spring-blooming bulbs, plant hyacinth bulbs in mid-to-late autumn, any time after your first fall frost and before the ground freezes.
How to Plant Hyacinths
- Plant hyacinth bulbs 4 to 5 inches deep. Space bulbs 5 to 6 inches apart (grape hyacinths can be 2 inches apart). At the northern limits of their hardiness (USDA Zone 3), plant 1 to 2 inches deeper to ensure winter hardiness.
- Dig out a larger area if you wish to plant five or more bulbs simultaneously. Hyacinths look beautiful in groupings of five to nine bulbs. Grape hyacinths also look best in masses and loose drifts.
- Set the bulb in the hole with the pointy end up.
- After planting and covering with soil, water thoroughly.
- Apply a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch around the plants to discourage weeds and disease.
- If you are transplanting, water sparingly and then do not water again until flower buds appear the following year.
Forcing Hyacinth Bulbs Indoors
- Hyacinth bulbs may be forced into early growth for indoor display in the winter. Plant them with the tips just showing, in soil-based potting mix in containers with drainage holes.
- Keep in a dark place at temperatures above freezing but no higher than 45°F (7°C), for at least 10 weeks to allow roots to develop.
- When shoots are about 1 inch long, increase light and temperature gradually.
- Water carefully and avoid wetting the shoots or waterlogging the soil. Soil should be moist, not wet.
- After flowering, forced hyacinths may be transplanted into the garden, and they will flower again in subsequent years.
Types
- Hyacinth orientalis ‘Blue Jacket’: One of the great blues of the flower world. These award-winning hyacinths display big columns of royal blue florets with crisp white edges.
- H. orientalis ‘City of Haarlem’: A wonderful heirloom variety that’s been popular since the late 1800s. The flowers are soft, primrose yellow, maturing to creamy white.
- H. orientalis ‘Gypsy Queen’: ‘Gypsy Queen’ is an heirloom hyacinth with salmon pink petals with peach and buttery-yellow highlights.
- H. orientalis ‘Jan Bos’: Intensely fragrant, this award-winning hyacinth has fuschia-pink florets that are tightly packed into large flowerheads.
- H. orientalis ‘Miss Saigon’: With a deep, rich purple color, this fragrant hyacinth is covered with starry, violet florets. Gorgeous!
- H. orientalis ‘Pink Pearl’: Rose-pink flower heads turn heads with their cotton-candy sweetness; ‘Pink Pearl’ is a favorite for spring containers to add a pop of color.
- Muscari armeniacum: This grape hyacinth has small and delicate cobalt-blue flowers that look gorgeous when planted en masse.
Catherine Boeckmann
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I have some Hyacinths in a pot and want to keep them year round. They have already bloomed and the foliage is growing very well, what should I do with them now? Help!!
Eventually, the foliage will dry and collapse. (You knew that, right?) Your mission, if you want these bulbs to bloom again is to allow them to experience winter. Or conditions like it. Hyacinths and other spring bulbs sold in pots are, typically, forced into blooming. If planted in a zone/area that experiences freezing conditions and/or snow before that cold sets in and snow flies, they have a reasonably good chance of coming back the following spring. They are not likely to dry out because they will be exposed to rain and, as noted, possibly snow. You could TRY lifting/digging them out of the soil in the early winter and repotting them and tending them indoors—watering and giving them sun, as needed. They might come back. It would be an interesting experiment.
Can you keep them in a pot, put them in the fridge or freezer, and then expect them to bloom again in spring? You can try. People ask that all the time, and some people claim great success. At least take the bulbs out of the pot/soil and store them in peat moss. Do not put them into a plastic bag; they will suffocate (dry out). They might dry out anyway; they will not be exposed to rain.
The best thing you can do is appreciate these bulbs while they last. And plan to get a few more next season.
I'm in zone 4 , when can I put them in the ground, the will be planted on the South/West side of the front house.
I have a water grown hyacinth flower that was given to me two weeks ago it is already bloomed and is dying I was wondering if the flower buds have seeds in them or do I need to plant it to keep it alive I keep it in the vase that it came in and I follow the instructions that came with it but I don't know what else to do help me please
We are guessing that the bulb is in a vase that has a narrow neck, and the bulb sits in the neck and its roots float in water below it. That’s a lovely display. Our advice is to leave it in the vase until it completes its bloom, then cut off the stem a couple of inches from the bulb. Then plant it. You won’t know for a year if it will be a success.
Can we put the plant in the refreigerator while inside the pot?
is there a specific type of potting soil and vase that I should plant it in if I plan to keep it indoors
I received some hyacinths from a friend right before Easter that were in a medium sized pot, there were 3 large blooms in it, but now there are about 7 small shoots in the pot also, I want to separate them to different pots. Should I only put one plant in each pot? Also how deep should I plant them? The large bulbs are pushing their way out of the pot and the flowers are a grayish brown, now do I need to cut those off or just let them die out?
We highly recommend putting them in the ground. Leave the hyacinths in the pots until the foliage dies back. Carefully lift the bulbs out of the pot and divide the bulbs without braking any roots. Dig holes in the garden about 4-5 inches deep and plant the bulbs about 3 inches apart.
I just received bulbs from my work as they replace flowers frequently. Can i plant them now or do i really have to wait until Autumn? Thanks.
