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Planting and Growing Hyacinths & Grape Hyacinths

Image Credit:
Marcin Jucha/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Hyacinthus (True Hyacinths); Muscari (Grape Hyacinths)
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Toxicity
Toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
Under 1 foot
Spread
Under 1 foot
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Flower Color
Blue
Orange
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Disease-Resistant
Fragrant
Low Maintenance
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Clay Soil Tolerant
Plant Type
Bulbs
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Ahhh, the scent of hyacinths in full bloom—springtime’s little perfume bottles! And don’t even get us started on the tiny cobalt-blue Muscari, sneaking in like miniature bells of joy. 

Whether you’re planting them in pots, borders, or bouquets, these fragrant spring bulbs are sure to make your garden (and your nose) very happy.

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.
Close-up of Hyacinth flowers in full bloom
Close-up of Hyacinth flowers in full bloom. Credit: Elena Tratsevskaya
  • 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.
Blue muscari/grape hyacinth flowers
Blue muscari. Credit: Shebeko

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!

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

Where to Plant Hyacinths

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.
pink and purple hyacinths in the garden

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.

Growing

Caring for Hyacinths

  • Do NOT overwater hyacinth. They do not like standing water or having “wet feet.” Water ONLY if the soil is dry at a depth of 3 inches. If it is dry at that depth, it is time to water.  
  • Water deeply at the soil level, not from overhead or with a sprinkler which encourages disease. Lay the hose end next to the plant, turn the hose on low, and water for about 30 minutes or until the soil is moist. A soaker hose turned on low for a few hours will cover a larger area effectively.
  • With the organic matter and mulch, you do not need to fertilize. However, it’s OK to sprinkle a commercial organic fertilizer over the soil.
  • Protect container-grown plants from excessive winter moisture by covering them or moving them to a sheltered area.

Harvesting

What to Do With Hyacinths After Flowering

Outdoors

  • After your hyacinths have finished flowering, remove the blooms, but don’t remove the foliage. The bulbs need their leaves to gather energy for next year’s blooms. The foliage will die back naturally at the end of the spring season. Remove when the leaves have turned brown to help prevent fungal diseases.
  • Hyacinth bulbs can remain in the ground throughout the year in most planting zones. If you live a warm climate where temperatures do not get below 60°F, bulbs should be dug up in the fall and refrigerated in a cool, dry area for 6 to 8 weeks. Hyacinths require a period of colder weather to bloom. 

Indoors

  • Hyacinth bulbs that have finished flowering indoors can be transplanted into the garden. After flowering, they need time to gather energy for next year’s blooms, so they should not be placed directly into storage.
  • After their foliage dies back outdoors, hyacinth bulbs can be brought indoors and stored in a cool, dark, dry place until the fall or winter. 

Pests and Problems

  •  Bulbs are prone to gray mold and bulb rot when kept too wet.

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.

Wit and Wisdom

  • 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.

Are Hyacinth Bulbs Poisonous to Cats and Dogs?

Yes, hyacinth bulbs are poisonous to pets. Many spring flowers, such as hyacinths and daffodils, contain a compound that may cause stomach and respiratory issues and skin irritation. This substance—calcium oxalate—is most concentrated in the bulbs, but is also found in the foliage and flowers of the hyacinth plant. Keep hyacinths out of reach of curious pets and children, and wear gloves when handling hyacinth bulbs for long periods of time.

The one upside to the hyacinth’s toxicity is that common garden pests, such as squirrels and groundhogs, often aren’t as tempted to eat your hyacinth bulbs!

Will Hyacinths Bloom Again?

Yes and no. Hyacinths bloom just once yearly (in the spring), but they will happily bloom again in subsequent years if provided with the proper care. They are a perennial plant.

Bulbs

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 05/17/2016 - 16:13

We recommend to plant hyacinths in well-drained, moderately fertile soil in sun or partial shade. The bulbs grow best in Zones 4-8. You can try to plant a couple of bulbs and see if they will come up next spring. You may need to refrigrate them for about 4 to 6 weeks prior to planting them in the ground.

 <span>Bill</span> Fri, 05/13/2016 - 12:09
I bought some potted hyacinths last month. They have finished flowering and the leaves are dying back. Should I transplant the bulbs into the ground now or should I store them in a paper bag in a cool dry place till fall, then plant them?
<span>Nancy</span> Fri, 05/06/2016 - 15:40
There are some hyacinths in the church garden. The blooms were not cut back when they finished blooming and not have clusters things that look like bulbs on the stems. Are these seeds or new bulbs? Will they grow if planted?
<span>Karla</span> Thu, 05/05/2016 - 13:36
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.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 05/05/2016 - 15:36

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.

 <span>Kelly</span> Mon, 05/02/2016 - 15:18
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?
<span>J.r.</span> Sun, 05/01/2016 - 18:48
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.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 05/03/2016 - 14:44

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.

 <span>Mina Mir</span> Mon, 04/25/2016 - 13:28
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.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 04/26/2016 - 16:48

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 "unnatural" conditions—lack 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!