General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 8b
Plant Height: 7-11 inches
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Flower Color: Purple
Other: Deep blackish indigo-purple
Flower Time: Spring
Underground structures: Bulb
Uses: Suitable as Annual
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Toxicity: Other: Contact with bulbs may cause an allergic skin reaction.
Propagation: Seeds: Start indoors
Other info: can take many years for hyacinths to go from seeds to bloom
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Offsets
Bulbs
Other: Plant hyacinth bulbs in fall, 6 to 8 weeks before a hard frost is expected and when soils are below 60 degrees F. This is usually during September and October in the North, and October and November in the South.
Pollinators: Bees
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon
Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots

Image
Common names
  • Hyacinth
  • Dutch Hyacinth

Photo Gallery
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-03-16
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-03-15

Photo courtesy of Old House Gardens
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-03-10
Hope that bud group breaks out!
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-10-29
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-03-01
Comments:
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Mar 16, 2016 8:28 AM concerning plant:
    Old House Gardens on Menelik -
    'Black is beautiful, and this astonishing hyacinth – named in honor of the Victorian king of Ethiopia – is an intense indigo-purple shading to absolute BLACK. Although it went commercially extinct in Holland in 2001, most years we get a handful of bulbs from Alan Shipp of the UK National Collection. 10-12”, zones 5a-7b(9bWC), from England.'

    Forced in a pot.
  • Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on Sep 4, 2015 5:43 PM concerning plant:
    Rare Hyacinth dating back to 1911.
Plant Events from our members
jmorth From March 14, 2016 to March 22, 2016 Bloomed
seems blooms started bit early (compared to leaf size) - The blue color is quite a dark blue.
jmorth On March 10, 2016 Miscellaneous Event
Moved upstairs
jmorth On March 1, 2016 Miscellaneous Event
Out of cold period. Placed under fluorescent lights in cool basement. When about to bloom, to be moved upstairs.
jmorth On October 29, 2015 Obtained plant
From Old House Gardens - to force.
jmorth On October 29, 2015 Potted up
5 days to let rooting begin, then into refrigerator dedicated to winter bulb forcing. Cold Period starts.
» Post your own event for this plant

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Hyacinths Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Hyacinths (Hyacinthus)

« The Hyacinths Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page