Muscari macrocarpum

Muscari macrocarpum: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small bulbous plant about 20 cm tall and 10 cm wide, with a short, dense flower cluster.

Leaves

Broadly strap-shaped, grey-green and often a little floppy; turn yellow in late spring.

Flower

Small, tubular flowers in a short cluster at the top of a sturdy stem, from April to May.

Colour

Yellow, with a darker purple-brown accent on the teeth; the buds are darker than the open flowers.

Scent

Strong and fruity, often compared to banana; strongest on warm days.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–October

Why grow it?

• Yellow flowers and a surprisingly strong scent of banana, in April–May.
• A rare, special grape hyacinth: nothing comparable flowers in the border.
• Drought tolerant and needs little water, ideal for a rock garden or a gravel bed.
• Bees and bumblebees visit the scented flowers.
• Small and fine: suits a pot on the terrace or the front of the border.

Muscari macrocarpum: where does it grow best?

• Full sun in a warm, sheltered spot; in shade it flowers poorly.
• Very free-draining soil: sandy or loamy, lime is fine. Heavy, wet clay makes the bulb rot.
• Dry to normal: the soil may be completely dry in summer.
• Sheltered from cold wind; on a sunny rise or against a south-facing wall it does best.
• Plant the bulbs 8–10 cm apart, in groups of at least 10.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.2 m tall, 0.1 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Small tulip: Botanical tulips like the same sunny, dry spot.
• Stonecrop: Likes the same warm, dry spot and keeps the soil covered.
• Lavender: Same sunny, dry spot; grey-green leaves and blue flowers later in the year.
• Ornamental grasses: Soft plumes fill the spot when the grape hyacinth leaves die back.

Muscari macrocarpum: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–October.

1. Plant in September–October, as soon as you have the bulbs.
2. Dig a hole about 8–10 cm deep and mix heavy soil with coarse sand or fine grit.
3. Set the bulbs pointed end up, 8–10 cm apart.
4. Cover with soil and water only if the autumn is very dry.
5. In a pot: use free-draining compost with plenty of sand or grit and holes in the bottom.

Care

Water

Rarely needed in spring; water only in a long dry spell during flowering. During the summer rest let it dry out completely.

Feeding

Usually not needed. After flowering you may sprinkle a little bulb fertiliser.

Mulching

A layer of coarse sand or fine grit keeps the soil free-draining and the bulb dry; no thick layer of compost.

Spent flowers

Cut off the spent clusters so that the bulb does not waste energy on seed.

Leaves

Leave them until they turn yellow, usually in May–June: they recharge the bulb for next year.

Tip: Plant it in a warm, dry spot or in a pot that you do not keep too wet. In open ground, a sunny rise or a spot against a south-facing wall is ideal.

Muscari macrocarpum: when to prune it?

When: Pruning is not needed. Cut off spent flowers and remove the leaves only when they are completely yellow and withered, usually in June.

How:

• Cut the spent flower stem off just above the ground.
• Leave the leaves in place for at least six weeks after flowering: the bulb feeds on them.
• Only when they are yellow, pull them off gently or cut them away.

Caution: Do not cut the leaves too early or tie them in knots: the bulb would flower less well next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Bulblets

In June–July, when the leaves are yellow, or in September: lift the clump, separate the small bulblets and replant them at 8–10 cm deep.

Seed

Sow the seed in autumn in a tray with free-draining compost; seedlings flower after a few years. Division is much faster.

Muscari macrocarpum: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C: in Flanders usually safe, but the leaves can be damaged in hard frost.
• In a cold spot, protect the bulbs with a 5 cm layer of dry leaves or compost and remove it in March.
• In a pot: place the pot in a sheltered, dry spot against a wall, or frost-free in a cold greenhouse or garage.

Diseases and pests

• Bulb rot: In cold, wet soil the bulbs rot and there is no flower. Plant in very free-draining soil and keep the bulbs dry in summer.
• Slugs: They sometimes eat young leaves and flowers. Pick them off by hand in the evening.
• Frost-damaged leaves: Frosted or scorched leaves are not serious; the bulb simply sprouts again. Protect the bulbs in hard winters.
• Poor flowering: Too much shade or a spot that is too wet. Move it to a sunny, dry spot.

Through the year

• March: Leaves appear. Remove the protective layer.
• April: Flowering begins. Bees visit.
• May: Flowering. Cut off spent flowers.
• June: Leaves turn yellow. Remove when fully yellow. Lift and divide if needed.
• July: Summer rest. Keep the soil dry.
• September: Plant, 8–10 cm deep.
• October: Plant. Fill pots. Lay dry leaves as protection.
• November: Move the pot to a sheltered or frost-free spot.
• December: Resting underground.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species name macrocarpum means ‘large-fruited’, after its relatively large seed capsules.
• The flowers smell strongly fruity, often compared to banana: a rarity among grape hyacinths.
• The name Muscari comes from the Greek moschos, ‘musk’, after the scent of some species.