Hyacinths: a room full of spring

A sad story behind a sweet scent

The name comes from Hyacinthus, a young Spartan in Greek myth. The god Apollo was teaching him to throw the discus when a stray throw killed him, and where his blood fell a flower grew. The garden hyacinth, Hyacinthus orientalis, is wild in Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean. Dutch growers turned it into a fashion in the eighteenth century, when rare double varieties sold for high prices, and the Netherlands still produces most of the bulbs we buy.

Do not confuse it with the bluebell. Irish woodland bluebells were once known as wild hyacinths, but they belong to a different genus.

Colours and what they suggest

• Blue and violet: constancy and sincerity; the traditional colour.
• Purple: in Victorian flower language, sorrow and asking forgiveness.
• Pink and red: fun and affection.
• White: loveliness and a quiet prayer for someone.
• Yellow: once jealousy; nowadays just a sunny spring colour.

Christmas bowls and prepared bulbs

The hyacinths that flower in December have been fooled. Growers give the bulbs a period of cold storage so they think winter has already passed. If you want to grow your own for Christmas, look for bulbs sold as prepared and plant them in September. After potting they need ten weeks or so in the cold and dark, then a few weeks in cool light before they open.

Growing one in a glass of water

Children love this. Sit a bulb in a hyacinth glass, or any narrow jar, so that its base hovers just above the water without touching it. Keep it in a cold, dark cupboard until a mass of white roots fills the glass and a shoot appears, then move it to a cool windowsill. The bulb uses up its energy, so it is best composted afterwards.

Keeping a pot going for longer

• Cool beats warm. A hyacinth by the radiator is over in days; in a cool porch it lasts two weeks or more.
• Water little and often. Keep the compost just damp and never let the pot sit in water.
• Support the spike. Heavy flower heads flop, so a thin cane or a ring of twigs helps.
• Turn the pot. The stem leans towards the window otherwise.

Cut hyacinths also work in a vase. Cut above the white base of the stem and stand them in cool water. Their scent is strong enough that two or three stems are plenty in a mixed spring jug with daffodils or tulips.

Looking for something to send in spring? Read about tulips, colour meanings in flower language and our general care tips.