Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
11/8/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Linda Naeve, Reiman Gardens, (515) 294-2710, lnaeve@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
For November 8, 2002
Hyacinths are beautiful outdoors and indoors
By Linda Naeve
Extension Coordinator
Reiman Gardens
I am often amazed at how many things in nature have a perfect shape. The symmetry of the large flowers on a passion vine and the spectacular flowers that appear on the burly barrel cactus are remarkable. The beautiful coloring and markings on butterflies are also miraculous. The blooms on this week’s Reiman’s Pick, Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), are so flawless many people think they are artificial. Even the thick, smooth bell-shaped florets feel waxy. However, you know they are real with one whiff of their strong, sweet fragrance.
Hyacinths have a long history. The ancestor of our modern cultivars is native to Turkey and the Middle East. It is believed hyacinths were first grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans and were introduced to Dutch gardens in the late 1500s. Over the years, hyacinths have inspired poets and writers, such as Homer and Virgil, and artists have recreated their beauty in paintings and on fine china.
The hyacinths we plant today do not closely resemble their ancestors. The original native plants had a mere 15 pale blue flowers on a loose, spike-like raceme. Centuries of breeding by Dutch hybridizers transformed the hyacinth into a showpiece for the garden.
This is the not the time of year we see hyacinths blooming in the garden, but rather, the time we need to plant them. Hyacinth bulbs are available for sale at garden centers and department stores in a wide selection of colors, from white to yellow, orange, salmon, mauve, rose, pink, red, true-blue and purple. The bulbs are easy to identify because they are larger than tulip bulbs and often have a bluish-purple outer sheath. Be choosy when selecting the bulbs. Avoid those that have bruises, cuts or show signs of rot.
Due to their size and shape, hyacinths look best in formal or mass plantings rather than naturalized in the garden. Select a location that receives at least partial sun and is well-drained. They are a beautiful accent along walkways, in the front of a perennial border, around mailboxes or under a shrub border. Plant them in groupings of at least five or more bulbs, six inches deep and six inches apart. Although they are often sold in packages of mixed colors, the best color impact comes when one color is used in each group.
Hyacinth bulbs are hardy from zones 4 to 8 and come back reliably for several years. After a few years, they may not produce as many flowers on the stem as they first did. Deer, rabbits or burrowing rodents rarely bother these flowers.
Hyacinths usually bloom in Iowa gardens in late April or May and the flowers are attractive for a couple of weeks. After the flowers fade, remove the flower stalk and leave the foliage until it turns yellow.
When buying hyacinth bulbs, purchase a few extra to force into bloom to brighten the winter months. Hyacinths are one of the easiest spring-flowering bulbs to force indoors. Forcing hyacinths requires a period of cold and darkness. Such treatment is necessary because most bulbs naturally send up blooms only after they have been chilled and have developed a mature root system. They can be potted in containers of potting soil, and should be kept moderately moist.
An easier, and cleaner, method is to use a special container, called a hyacinth jar. These glass jars are shaped like an hourglass so that the bulb sits in the top and the water is in the lower reservoir. Fill the jar so the water level just reaches the bottom of the bulb. Store potted bulbs and hyacinth jars in a dark location at about 40 to 45 degrees for 10 to 12 weeks. Put them in an extra refrigerator where you don’t keep fruit because ripening fruit emits a gas that can be harmful to hyacinth blooms. Keep the water reservoir filled. After a few weeks in the jar, you will see white roots develop and eventually fill the reservoir. When the reservoir is filled with roots, take it out of refrigerator and place it in a warmer location, but away from bright sunlight. After sprouts appear, blooms usually follow in about six weeks. Unfortunately, once forced, hyacinths can’t be forced into bloom again.
You will experience the beauty and fragrance of hyacinths indoors in the new Conservatory at Reiman Gardens as part of their spring display in April. Visit the Conservatory now to see hundreds of fall mums in bloom.
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