Armenian grape hyacinth

Armenian grape hyacinth: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low clump 15–20 cm tall and about 8 cm wide, quickly spreading into a carpet.

Leaves

Narrow, fleshy, grassy leaves that appear in autumn and flop a little in spring.

Flower

Dense clusters of small, rounded bells, cobalt blue with a white rim at the mouth, in April–May. The top flowers are smaller and paler.

Bulb

Small bulb with a light brown tunic that produces many offsets.

Fruit

After flowering, three-angled seed capsules form; the seed drops and germinates easily.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–November

Why grow it?

• Carefree: plant it once and it returns every year, with ever more flowers.
• Deep blue in April–May, a gorgeous colour next to tulips and daffodils.
• An important early source of nectar for bees and bumblebees.
• Ideal for naturalising under shrubs, in grass or along a path.
• Perfect in pots and containers, also in a layer above larger bulbs.
• Charming in a small vase or a spring arrangement.

Armenian grape hyacinth: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; under deciduous shrubs it gets enough light in spring.
• Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to normally moist; it dislikes wet soil in winter.
• It naturalises vigorously: give it room and keep it out of a small rock garden with delicate plants.
• Plant 5–8 cm apart, in groups of at least twenty for a blue effect.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.2 m tall, 0.08 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Tulips: Blue at the feet of red, yellow or white tulips: a classic.
• Daffodils: Yellow and blue flower together and both naturalise.
• Primrose: Low, colourful flowers at the same time, for the front of the border.
• Forget-me-not: Light blue next to dark blue, a soft spring haze.
• Magnolia: A blue carpet under a flowering magnolia or another spring shrub.

Armenian grape hyacinth: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

1. Plant from September to November; the earlier, the better it roots.
2. Make planting holes or a wide trench 7–8 cm deep.
3. Set the bulbs pointed end up, 5–8 cm apart.
4. Plant in groups or ribbons, for example along a path or as a blue stream between shrubs.
5. Cover with soil, firm and water in if it is dry.
6. In a pot, plant it in a layer above tulips or daffodils: it flowers with them or just after.

Care

Watering

Not needed in the garden. In pots, keep the compost slightly moist while it is growing.

Feeding

Not needed; soil that is too rich mainly gives lots of leaves.

Leaves

Let the leaves die back naturally after flowering and only mow afterwards. Leave the leaves that appear in autumn alone.

Deadheading

Cut off the flower clusters if you do not want it to self-seed.

Dividing

Divide crowded clumps every few years, or it flowers less.

Tip: Use grape hyacinths as a reminder: their leaves come up in autumn, so a ribbon of them next to other bulbs shows you straight away where you have already planted.

Armenian grape hyacinth: when to prune it?

When: No pruning is needed. Cut off faded flower clusters in May if you want to prevent self-seeding.

How:

• Cut off the faded stems before the seed capsules are ripe and brown.
• Leave the leaves until they are yellow, then remove them or mow them off.
• If you want it to naturalise, simply leave the seed capsules.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

Lift crowded clumps in June–July, once the leaves have died back, or in September. Separate the bulbs and replant them straight away.

Seed

It self-seeds freely. To sow it yourself, do so outdoors in autumn; the seedlings flower after two to three years.

Armenian grape hyacinth: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C.
• The leaves that appear in autumn can cope with frost and snow; there is nothing to do.
• In pots: in hard frost, move the pot to a sheltered spot against a wall.

Diseases and pests

• Lots of leaves, few flowers: Crowded clumps, too much shade or soil that is too rich. Divide the clump and replant in a lighter spot.
• Untidy leaves: The long leaves flop over in spring. That is normal; plant it among perennials that will hide them later.
• Spreading too much: It can swamp small plants. Cut off faded flower clusters and dig out surplus clumps.
• Bulb rot: In wet, heavy soil the bulbs rot. Choose a free-draining spot.

Through the year

• February: Buds appear among the leaves.
• March: First flower clusters. Do not let pots dry out.
• April: Full flower. Bees and bumblebees visit.
• May: End of flowering. Cut off flower clusters to prevent self-seeding.
• June: Leaves die back; mow or tidy afterwards. Divide crowded clumps.
• July: Rest. Bulbs can still be moved.
• September: Plant bulbs 7–8 cm deep. The new leaves appear.
• October: Plant. Divide clumps and replant straight away.
• November: Plant the last bulbs.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Muscari comes from the Greek word for musk, after the scent of some species.
• The top flowers of the cluster are often smaller, paler and sterile; they probably make the cluster more eye-catching to insects.
• The Armenian grape hyacinth has escaped from gardens in many places in Belgium and the Netherlands and now grows wild on verges and in grassland.