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Hyacinths

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Botanical name: Hyacinthus

Plant type: Flower

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Sun exposure: Full Sun, Part Sun

Soil type: Loamy

Flower color: Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Purple, White

Bloom time: Spring

Hyacinth bulbs are planted in the fall and borne in spring. The Victorians revered hyacinths for their sweet, lingering fragrance, and carefully massed them in low beds, planting in rows of one color each.

The loose to dense racemes of strongly fragrant flowers are closely packed with tubular-bell-shaped, single or double flowers.  As well as growing in the ground, colorful hyacinths are excellent for forcing in containers and some are available for early flowering indoors.

Planting

  • Outdoors, plant bulbs 4 inches deep, a minimum of 3 inches apart, in autumn.
  • At the northern limits of their hardiness, plant 6 to 8 inches deep.
  • Grow in any well-drained, moderately fertile soil in sun or partial shade.
  • Loosen soil, mix in compost, and set the bulb in the hole with the pointy end up.
  • After planting and covering with soil, water thoroughly.

Forcing Bulbs

  • Bulbs may be forced into early growth for indoor display in 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 degrees F, for at least 10 weeks to allow roots to develop.
  • When shoots are about 1 inch long, increase light and temperature gradually.
  • Water carefully, avoiding wetting the shoots or waterlogging the soil.
  • After flowering, forced hyacinths may be planted in the garden and they will flower again in subsequent years.

Care

  • Water hyacinths in the event of a dry autumn.
  • Protect container-grown plants from excessive winter moisture.
  • After plants are finished flowering in spring, cut back flower stalks but allow the leaves to die back naturally.

Pests

Recommended Varieties

  • A few of the old varieties from the 1800s are still available. Try 'Distinction'—its spicy-fragrant, dark-maroon blossoms are a showstopper.
  • Or, plant the rich-purple 'King of the Blues or the smoky-rose 'Lord Balfour.'

Free E-Cards

Send a harbinger of spring with this snow-covered hyacinth. Send e-card.

Credit: Kathea Secrist

Comments

I have forced potted

By Jb21 on June 14

I have forced potted hyacinth, I let them root up then froze them and then put them into 4degrees to Thor. Then I put them outside in our hot houses watered them 3 days later and the steams came up then some of them just snapped off.. Why is this

We're not completely clear on

By Almanac Staff on June 17

We're not completely clear on your question due to typos. However, we can tell you that hyacinth bulbs should NOT be frozen, only chilled. They bulbs will turn to mush if frozen before planting; Dig one up and see if it's rotted.

After reading all the

By Kathy Krueger on June 11

After reading all the comments I think I may have dug up about 100 hyacinths too soon. I am changing my flower bed and dug them up about 3 weeks after blooming but the leaves on some were still green and others starting to yellow or even brown. I have them drying in the sun now. If I wait for the leaves to dry now and then cut them off, can I store them in a cool dry place and replant in fall when my new flower bed is ready? I have tulips that I will need to move also. What is the best way to handle the tulips? I will be moving them to this new bed also. I am in central Wisconsin.

Dig the tulips after the

By Almanac Staff on June 12

Dig the tulips after the leaves have turned brown. Dry well in a shady location and store them in shallow boxes or mesh bags in a cool dry location.

This is just to say THANK YOU

By Natalia Baker on June 5

This is just to say THANK YOU for a most helpful article. Thank you!

Hi, I bought some hyacinths

By Mary Springman on June 4

Hi, I bought some hyacinths flowers and planted them in a flower box. I used Miracle Grow potting soil and watered when the soil was dry. The blooms lasted about a week and a half and then withered and died. The leaves look green and healthy though. Did I do something wrong? What can I do to try to save these? Do I just cut the stems and wait for the leaves to die and replant the bulbs for next year??

Hyacinth bulbs need to be in

By Kris Cole on June 9

Hyacinth bulbs need to be in the ground to flourish. You can plant them in window boxes, etc., but they will not do as well as they would do in the ground. They need the room to spread a good rooting system. Also, if you plant them in the spring, they will not do as well as if you planted them in the fall and let them over- winter. Cut only the flowers and allow the plant to die back naturally, maybe throw them in the ground this fall?

The seeds (round green pods)

By krystalriver on May 24

The seeds (round green pods) that form after the blooms, can they be planted to gain more plants ??

Our sources suggest that

By Almanac Staff on June 4

Our sources suggest that those are not seeds from which new plants will come; in fact, they will exhaust the existing plant, so cut them off.
Hyacinth and other bulbs reproduce off the main (underground) bulb by producing bulblets. These can take years to mature.

I was wondering the same

By April Lashway on June 3

I was wondering the same thing as I just noticed the pods. I am going to leave them alone for awhile and see if they enlarge. I will try planting them in the fall. I noticed one year a single day lily plant had these small bulbs up and down the stem that fell of after a while. I was stepping all over them and eventually tossed most of them. The following year many more lilies appeared growing from the ones I had stepped on a accidentally replanted. I have had them for approximately 5 years now and they have never produced the bulbs again. curious..

Our sources suggest that

By Almanac Staff on June 4

Our sources suggest that those pods are not seeds from which new plants will come; in fact, they will exhaust the existing plant, so cut them off.
Lilies (which include hyacinths, above, in the botanical family) and other bulbs reproduce off the main (underground) bulb by producing bulblets. These can take years to mature.
It may be that your lily had reproduced blublets underground near where replanted (your message is not entirely clear). It's a mystery to us why no bulbs reproduced. But that's nature sometimes...a mystery.

I have had these bulbs for 5

By Renee McClung on May 24

I have had these bulbs for 5 to 8 years and have never seen them bloom. The foliage will come up in spring and be beautiful, but they never bloom. Is it possible to have to many bulbs together? I am ready to give up! Help please.

That's unfortunate... You do

By Almanac Staff on June 4

That's unfortunate...
You do not indicate where you are, which leads us to ask if the plants experienced a sufficiently cold winter period. Also, if they were originally forced indoors (made to bloom outside of their normal seasonal bloom period), most will not bloom again.
If by "together" you are referring to clustering blubs in the ground, there is nothing wrong with that; in fact, it is often recommended.

hyacinths planting in texas

By Anonymous

I'm confused. For fall planting, Do I store my bulbs in an open container or in a paper bag? In the refrigerator or in a cool dark place? I got about 36 potted bulbs earlier and they are almost ready to store. Appreciate your help.

Care for hyacinth

By Anonymous

I have had hyacinth flowers in my garden for years and for some reason when some of the flowers start to appear within the leaves they stop growing. I notice that the stem of the flower has been cut off by a very small worm. How can I get rid of that pest?

Hyacinth damage

By Anonymous

This is caused by a cutworm and can be treated weekly with a permethrin based insecticed which is actually a natural solution, if this does not work try a snail slug and insect killer

Help! Hyacinths are keeled over!

By Anonymous

I just moved into a new home (zone 4b) and am experiencing the spring blooms of the perennials the previous homeowner planted. I am a brand new gardener. I mean BRAND NEW. I just noticed two gorgeous purple hyacinths standing tall in bloom yesterday! We had some thunderstorms last night and this morning, and the poor things are keeled over! Will they stand again? If not, I want to know if I can cut the bloom to put them in a vase. I want to make sure the plants will still come up next spring. What do I do?

Oops ...

By Anonymous

A friend placed a pot of blooming hyacinths on my mother-in-law's grave around Easter with the intent for my husband and his sister to share the bulbs after they were done blooming, each planting a few in their flower beds to hopefully come up again next Spring. The blooms were spent so I dug up the bulbs, shook the dirt off the roots and set aside to dry for planting in the Fall. Now, after reading other comments, I realize I should have waited until the leaves were also wilted. Should I replant them in the container they were in, until the leaves die back, or is it OK to let the leaves dry with the bulbs (then cut them off?)???

I have 3 Hyacinth plants just

By Anonymous

I have 3 Hyacinth plants just cut the flowers back and put the pots on my front porch do I need to keep watering the plant? I live in texas and I would like to replant them in the ground can I do that while the plants are still green? If not when can I replant them in the ground can the bulb be stored in a paper bag in the refridgerator?

If these were "forced" bulbs

By Almanac Staff on June 4

If these were "forced" bulbs that you acquired in or near bloom outside of their normal season (say, at Easter), re-bloom is not likely, at least according to our sources. You might get foliage but probably no flower.
But you can try it: When the foliage yellows cut it off, then lift the bulbs. Shake or brush the heavy dirt off of the bulbs. Most sources indicate that storing them in a paper bag is fine; some say a refrigerator is too humid and a "crisper" drawer is better.

Hyacinth and deer

By Anonymous

I have a fenced yard, but know that is a minor hurdle for a full grown deer. Will planting hyacinth attract them to my yard?

Though there is no such thing

By Almanac Staff

Though there is no such thing as deer-resistant plants, hyacinth is not one of their favorites and usually on the "Seldom Damaged" lists.

Leave bulbs in pot and dirt (in shed) till next Spring?

By Anonymous

First year for hyacinth and they're beauties. After they're done blooming and aging in their outdoor pot on the patio, can I leave the bulbs in the pot and dirt then store in a shed -- or do I need to remove the bulbs from the dirt? I live in the Pac NW and it gets humid, so guessing they'd stay dryer in their pot w/dirt. Saw the note to repot them every 3 years, but this is their first Spring. :-)

Potted hyacinths

By Almanac Staff

You can leave the bulbs in the pot after blooming and the leaves die and then put the entire package into the shed. A requirement for rebloom is a fairly sustained period of cold (some sources suggest around 40°F to 50°F; certainly in snow country, it can get colder than that). Failure to experience that chill is likely to result in malformed plants. Good luck!

Thank you!

By Anonymous

Appreciate the advice! :-D

Dead Hyacinthus

By Anonymous

Receive these flower from my husband for Easter (bought at a local grocery store)I planted them in good soil watered them and they died with in two weeks of planting. I live in Maryland. Can any body tell me what I did wrong and will they flower next year?

same thing happened to me and

By Anonymous

same thing happened to me and i live in central Ohio i don't know what to do either.

hyacinths, after flowering where do I cut them?

By Anonymous

I don't know where I need to cut the flowers when they die?

water

By Almanac Staff

It is possible that you overwatered them. Soggy, wet conditions promote bulb rot. Hard to tell exactly if they will flower next year... for sure things, pick up a few bulbs in the fall and plant them then.

Pleasant surprise!

By Anonymous

Moved here to Mass, almost 4 years ago, and ours grows every spring, never knew the nname until, told by a Facebook friend. What a surprise, a pleasant one, ours is pink, just beautiful!

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