Hyacinth

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General Description/History

A mass of small, bell-shaped, perfumed flowers make up the hyacinth spike. Like most spikes, flowers open from the bottom up. Hyacinths are very popular ‘winter’ bulb flowers, probably because of their distinctive scent. They are most commonly found in white, pale blue or pink, while red or pale yellow varieties are more rarely seen. They are often sold nowadays with a portion of the bulb and some roots intact as this prolongs flower life.

Hyacinths are true winter-flowering bulb crop, but are forced into flower in autumn and spring to prolong the season. In winter hyacinths are grown as a field crop mostly in the hills around Melbourne or in Tasmania. Forced bulbs are grown in cooled glasshouses, again mostly in VIC and TAS.

What to look for

  • Bunches of at least 3 stems, with bulbs intact or trimmed to look square;
  • Top flowers should be in bud, and at least the lower third of flowers open;
  • Avoid bunches where all flowers are open, or with ‘leggy’ stems where there is a distinct gap between flowers.

Flower Care

  1. Keep cool at all times.
  2. Recut at least 2 cm off each stem with sharp secateurs and place in water immediately.
  3. Preservative is optional. Dilute preservative by at least half if using, as hyacinths do not like sugar.
  4. Replace water every day.
  5. Misting is not recommended as this can spread fungal rots.
  6. Never place hyacinths near a heat source.

Interesting Facts about this Flower

The name comes from the Greek ‘Hyakinthos’, who was a handsome young man who was loved by the god Apollo. One day Hyakinthos was throwing the discus but the jealous god of the West Wind, who was also in love with Hyakinthos, blew the discus back and it fatally wounded him. From his blood grew a flower, which the god Apollo named after him.
It was first brought to Western Europe in the 16th century and during the 17th and 18th centuries, like the tulip, it was only found only in the collections of very rich flower collectors. Because of the hyacinth’s pervasive perfume, the bulbs were exorbitantly expensive.

In the Language of Flowers, blue hyacinths mean ‘constancy’.

Botanical Name: Hyacinthus orientalis

Common Names: Hyacinth

Stem Length: 20 to 50 cm

Country of Origin: Eastern Mediterranean

Available Colours: Blue, Pink, Red, White, Yellow

Season: Autumn,Winter,Spring

Availability: April,May,June,July,August,September,October