Common Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis 'Blue Jacket') is a spring-flowering bulb that fills the garden with one of the most intensely fragrant flower spikes you'll encounter. This hardy bulb grows 6 to 12 inches tall in zones 4 through 8, producing stiff spikes densely packed with extremely fragrant tubular flowers in shades ranging from deep blue to lighter hues depending on cultivar. Each bulb sends up 3 to 4 strap-shaped green leaves in early spring, creating a tidy, architectural presence even before bloom. The flowers typically appear from March through May, with peak bloom in April, and they're showy enough to draw attention from across the garden. Low-maintenance and reliable, hyacinths handle black walnut toxicity and rabbit pressure with ease, making them surprisingly tough despite their delicate appearance.
Full Sun
Moderate
4-8
12in H x 6in W
—
High
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The fragrance is almost overwhelming in the best possible way; a single planting of 6 to 15 bulbs will perfume an entire corner of the garden with an intoxicating sweetness that arrives before you even see the flowers. The dense flower spikes are architectural and refined, rising stiffly above strap-like foliage with a sculptural quality that looks equally at home in formal borders or casual cottage settings. These bulbs thrive in average, well-drained soils with moderate moisture and full sun exposure, asking for almost nothing in return except space to breathe.
Hyacinths are primarily grown for ornamental display and fragrance in spring gardens. They're typically planted in mass groupings or clusters of 6 to 15 bulbs to create a strong visual and aromatic impact in borders, foundation plantings, and formal garden beds. The intense fragrance makes them excellent for cutting and bringing indoors during the spring bloom season.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart in mid-fall. Soil should be kept moist immediately after planting to encourage root growth. Best results come from mass plantings of 6 to 15 bulbs per cluster.
Promptly remove spent flower spikes after blooming to tidy the plant's appearance. Allow foliage to remain until it naturally yellows and dies back, as the leaves fuel the bulb for next year's performance.
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