Hyacinths

Flower & Garden Magazine, Dec, 1996 by Marty Ross

Hyacinths Used To Be Huge. In The 19TH century, when Victorian garden style called for perfect flowers that bloomed on cue, gardeners could choose from about 2,000 named varieties of hyacinths, "the most beautiful and fragrant of the bulbous flowers," as one catalog of the time described them. Single-and double-flowered varieties were widely available, and nuances of color must have been subtle indeed; in 1872, one supplier listed more than 30 different double blue varieties among a selection of dose to 200 "splendid hyacinths" in blue, white, red, rose and yellow.

The market dwindled rapidly as garden fashions changed in the early 20th century, and daffodils became the rage. In 1948, Taylor's Encyclopedia of Gardening advised against planting hyacinths "in the huge masses that once made livid blotches of color in our parks and filled the air too full with their delicious scent."

Today, few garden cataloas offer more than a dozen hyacinths. In all, only about 60 varieties are available at the moment, but gardeners are inviting these bulbs back into their gardens and seeking out old and new varieties. Rich colors and fancy doubles are back on the market. For the same reasons that our Victorian ancestors relied on them, hyacinths have found a place in our gardens today. They are showy, fragrant, hardy and completely reliable.

The big "Dutch" or "garden" hyacinths sold at garden centers and through mail-order suppliers are varieties of one species, Hyacinthus orientalis, which comes from Turkey. Like tulips, hyacinth bulbs arrived in Holland with the great botanist Carolus Clusius in the 16th century and were cultivated to perfection by Dutch breeders.

Hyacinths grow from large, round bulbs that are planted in fall. They produce a single flower stalk, up to about 12 inches tall, covered with small, waxy, bell-shaped flowers. The blooms last for up to two weeks in the garden. Hyacinths bloom midway through the spring bulb season (March or April in most of the country). They are hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 8 but appreciate a winter mulch in the North.

The Roman hyacinth, Hyacinthus orientalis albulus, is an early-blooming hyacinth with multiple stems. It is native to southern France. Roman hyacinths are rare today, but "multiflora" types, grown in Holland, are affordable substitutes. Multifloras may perform better than single-stem hyacinths for gardeners in the South.

Hyacinths should be planted in well-drained soil where they will get plenty of sun. Plant them 6 to 8 inches deep, measured from the base of the bulbs; deep planting encourages bulbs to produce strong flower stalks and discourages squirrels from digging them up.

Hyacinths look spectacular in groups. Plant them in ribbons (but not regiments), or in clusters of three or five bulbs here and there in flower beds. Leave 3 to 6 inches of space between bulbs. It is difficult to predict when different varieties will bloom, so limit each group to a single kind. The blooms tend to lose a bit of their formality after the first year, which makes the flowers look quite at home in informal gardens. Hyacinths are easy to force for winter bloom indoors, and they're even better in pots in the garden in spring.

Some popular varieties available today go back to the hyacinth's heyday. The yellow 'City of Haarlem' was a favorite of gardeners in the 1890s. Pale pink 'Chestnut Flower' (introduced 1880) and pale purple 'General Kohler' (1878) are two of the few double-flowering varieties now available; a rich blue, 'King Codro,' joined them in 1975. Among the many single-flowered blue hyacinths, the 20th-century introductions 'Delft Blue,' 'Blue Jacket' and 'Blue Giant' are popular. 'Lady Derby' (1875), 'Pink Pearl' (1922) end 'Fondant' (1983) represent three eras of pink hyacinths.

Interest in hyacinths and imports are up; the selection may not be what it once was, but it seems to be headed that way.

Editor's note: Sources for hyacinth bulbs are listed.