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Hyacinthus orientalis

common hyacinth

A bulbous perennial to around 30cm high, with strap-shaped, channeled, glossy leaves. In spring, produces a dense cylindrical spike of fragrant, waxy, tubular bell-shaped flowers, pale violet at the base and near white above

Other common names

hyacinth

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0–0.1 metre

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asparagaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Skin irritant, Ornamental bulbs - not to be eaten. Pets: Skin irritant. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Hyacinthus are bulbous perennial with glossy, broadly strap-shaped leaves and fragrant, bell-shaped flowers with recurved petals, borne in loose or dense racemes in spring
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Turkey to Israel

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile soil with good drainage. Will tolerate partial shade but will not flower as well as in full sun. Protect container-grown plants from hard frosts and excess wet. Specially treated bulbs are available for earlier flowering indoors. See hyacinth cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by division, separating offsets when dormant in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Houseplants
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

No pruning required; cut spent flower stems back to the base

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to fungal infections, including hyacinth fire, blue mould rot and sclerotinia diseases, to bacterial soft rot and hyacinth yellows, and to some virus diseases

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