Not to be left out of the early spring bloom cycle are the dainty Grape Hyacinths. With their upright little spires, they dot the xeric gardens in shades of pale blueish-lavender to darker purples. Like the Dwarf Iris, they may be small – but are fearless to the unpredictable spring elements!
While the xeric gardens may still appear somewhat barren, these perky, little fellas bring dots of color with their little flower clusters. They often share the spotlight in terms of timing with Pasque Flowers and that puts me in my happy place for photo ops!
Being rather indiscriminate in where they pop up throughout the gardens, you can’t help but smile and wonder. Did they know they’d be keeping such close company with a cholla cactus?
They are Not True Hyacinths
Admittedly I do not know much about these little flowers. So off to Google for more background info for curious minds…
“Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) is a mid-spring blooming, perennial bulb in the Lily Family (Liliaceae) native to southeastern Europe.
It is not a true hyacinth (genus Hyacinthus). The name of the genus, Muscari, comes from the Greek word for musk, referring to the scent produced by the flowers of many species in the genus.
The common name comes from the resemblance of the clusters of the small, bell-shaped, cobalt-blue flowers to upside-down clusters of grapes.”
And there you have it!
Growing close to the ground, their long, floppy green leaves emerge first in early spring soon followed by the flowers.They produce short spikes of dense, urn-shaped flowers resembling bunches of grapes. When you get up close to photograph them, they do look just like that – like mini grape clusters. Another feature is that they flower/bloom from the bottom of the clusters up – much like Foxtail Lilies do. So the bottom flowers may already be turning brown while the top portion of the cluster is still in the process of opening.
Grape Hyacinths Grow Well in Rock Gardens
As you can see by the photos, given the rocky nature of the xeric gardens where I photograph these perky little flowers, Grape hyacinths do well in rock gardens.
Over the last few seasons I’ve noticed how they drift and pop up in different spots. There are the usual areas I find them growing and they do tend to favor an area in particular with mulch. In this spot I’ve noticed the greatest variations in their colors which is pretty cool.
I was not able to capture any of them popping up through the spring snow as in season’s past – but it’s good to know that they are capable of doing so!
If you every find them growing around you, give them a closer look. They are quite interesting for such little flowers 🙂
If you’re a fan of these little flowers, check out these other posts with accompanying photos:
● Grape Hyacinths Grace Gardens in Early Spring
● Grape Hyacinths Diminutive Spring Flowers