Hyacinths as perennials What's your experience?

I admit that I have been a hyacinth 'groupie' for many years. Their amazing fragrance and colors have attracted me, however, I live in Zone 9a (N. Calif) which is not recommended for hyacinths. I think most sources consider Zone 9 too warm. At best the suggestion from my local gardening center was to grow them as annuals like we do for many tulips.

I always felt that perhaps my good experiences with hyacinths had been a fluke or maybe my bone dry summers were more important to hyacinths than our relatively warm winters. So, I guess my dormant scientific background kicked in and I decided to conduct a more controlled test. I planted Hyacinthus orientalis in my first test beds in my garden in Nov 2002. More beds and varieties were added in later years. These beds receive no summer water. Now I have records of growth and blooms on nearly 70 Hyacinthus o cultivars.

If you search Plant Files for genus = Hyacinthus and species = orientalis you will find many photos from my test beds.

Cornell University also conducted a multi year study of 17 cultivars of hyacinths and compared their perennialization in 3 different climates--Ithaca( Zone 5), Long Island( Zone 6), and Clemson(Zone 7) . Their results might be more useful for many of you than my Zone 9 experiment. The Research Newsletter, Number 4 from The Flower Research Program is available at

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/miller/bulb/No4Oct2004.pdf


Here is my list of BEST PERENNIALIZERS in my Zone 9 garden:

Hyacinthus orientalis 'L'Innocence'--a lovely large white that has bloomed and multiplied for me for 10 years. This was one of my original hyacinths and was planted years before my more controlled test beds. 'L'Innocence' was introduced in 1863 but is still available.

-'Splendid Cornelia' -mauve pink, blooms very early --easy to find sources .

-'Fondant' --candy pink with reddish stems--introduced about 1983-- blooms early--also called 'Pink Frosting'--easy to find sources

-'Bismarck'--blue with a dark blue stripe down each petal--introduced about 1875--rare

-'Grand Monarque' --sky blue--introduced about 1863--this one splits into many small bulbs (in my climate) which take a year or so to reach blooming size--rare

-'Princess Maria Christina' --pinkish apricot--blooms are taller and more slender--Introduced 1948--rare

-'Madame Sophie'--a white double flower--was a sport of L'Innocence' introduced in 1929--early flowering--still a few sources


If you have had success with hyacinths returning and multiplying in your garden, please tell us about your experiences.

Chris

This message was edited Feb 26, 2008 4:42 PM

I'm just across the bay and I have had hyacinths returning on a regular basis. Biggest concern would be rot in our wonderful adobe soil. I really have not kept track of the varieties, I just relish my "Hyacinth Bouquet!"

Hi, Chris--

Thanks for all your good information about Hyacinths. And for the link to the Cornell research. I really appreciate the in depth look at hyacinths and perennializing in the 'Research Newsletter'.

Do you subscribe to that publication or how did you find the data, may I ask? Google? No, I don't think so, but maybe?!

Would love to see more pics of your bulb garden this spring!

Thanks. t.

Mine have all come back well for me with Delft Blue and Carnegie or L'Innocence being the best perennializers. Fondant also does well. I agree, Splendid Cornelia blooms very early - for me as well. Deep planting and fairly dry soil seem to help the perennializing effort. I have General Kohler (this is only its second spring) coming up and showing tips already, but most others have not made an appearance yet.

The whole zone thing by the way is a very vague and misleading way to categorize a plant's viability, and I really think people focus too much on it - it only shows the lowest temperature an area is expected to encounter and talks nothing of average highs, average lows, humidity,sun intensity, and other variables that really impact a plant's potential. Miami is in zone 9 too but not very similar in climate to the bay area of CA. Houston and Seattle are both in zone 8, along with much of the UK and the Netherlands, where bulbs are mass produced - see the point? :-)

I got a lot of great information on hyacinths by Scott Kunst at Old House Gardens. I learned that hyacinths root best at somewhat warmer temepartures at tulips and also do not need the prolonged cold (though they do need some cold) that tulips do. My experience with them and good returns in my north Texas garden bear this out. Tulips are pretty much an annual for me.

It is great knowing there are other dedicated hyacinth affecionados like myself!

Houston is in zone 9a--I have started experimenting with hyacinth's too. I have a pink heirloom variety that so far has been doing well; but no variety name on it. It is starting to bloom now. It's not particularly planted deep, but it is in a part of the garden that stays as dry as possible here in the summer (up under the eaves of the house).

I do know that Greg Grant near College Station has been successful in introducing an heirloom blue from seed. I'm going to try with seed on this pink variety this year.

Thanks for the recommendation on that white variety. The older varieties seem to do better here and if you can start from seed, even better to acclimate.

A lot of the growers for Old House Gardens are actually located in Texas--I know one of them. Tulip clusiana will also return here.
Debbie

very interestingting steve and dmj. Last year I got some hyacinths from a coop and planted in our property closer to dallas. I will report here if they return.

as to the tulips, yipee, I just planted some clusianas last fall. Last year I planted tulip Lilac Wonder. Just can't wait for March to see if they return. So far, not a hint. Ipheons have grown and full of green. Shouldn't be long before they bloom. The albert castillos may be getting swallowed up by nearby ophiopogon, so I don't know if I'll see any action on that front.

chris, last year I tried to force some hyancinths into indoor blooming, that was dumb. they did bloom but stalks were deformed. Don't know if it was indoors condition or if they were substandard bulbs from WM.

I think Houston itself might be in 9a but just north of Houston it becomes 8b. However, whether zone 8 or 9, the point being that the same zone can exist in areas of the country that are very climactically dissimilar. Seattle is regarded as an ideal area for spring bulbs while southern parts of Texas are probably not.

Well Nery, good to hear about your Lilac Wonder; I planted those at my old place and they did return well the next year. I might get a 10% return on standard tulips. I planted some Rembrandts last year in an area that is never watered and I am interested to see if any return. You will have to let us know how yours do.

That map is kind of outdated. I'm north and west of Houston, not Houston proper. 9a stretches way up past Conroe now.

http://www.arborday.org/media/zones.cfm

=)

This message was edited Jan 30, 2008 7:13 PM

Not the point I was making but OK! :-) Maybe you'll be in 10a next year but that's irrelevant to what I was trying to convey.

This message was edited Jan 30, 2008 7:30 PM

If we don't have a winter pretty soon, might be this year Steve. Only one real frost here and it was nothing to write home about. Sure would be helpful to kill some of these insects and mosquitoes.

Hyacinths do naturalize half way decently down here--but most people aren't as excited about them as I am. But I am into bulbs.
=)

I love them also. One of my favorite bulbs and I get good return too. I wish more people grew them. They say they used to be more popular than tulips....not sure why their popularity has waned.

Steve and Chris--
Do you find the older white varieties to be the most vigorous? I'm trying to find a good source of seeds on those to try down here. Bulbs from seeds seem to do a lot better on some borderline hard to grow in this area stuff (Freesia species as an example).
Debbie

Debbie,

I just started planting L'Innocence a couple of years ago, so not much data to work with there though it has bloomed well. Carnegie is a good perennializer for me and I really like that variety. I want to try Madame Sophie next year - Old House Gardens has that but was sold out when I started developing an interest in that one!

Steve

I sure like that yellow one 'City of Harlam' Old House Gardens has--but not sure about it for down here.

WOW! I haven't checked this thread for a few weeks and was surprised to find all the new messages. Thanks, everyone for contributing to this discussion. I am already learning new things from all of you.

This last year has been a bit of a disaster in my garden--a destructive critter (probably a gopher) has rototilled through a large part of the garden, destroying everything in its path except for clumps of narcissus, arums, euphorbias, and things in wire baskets. My original hyacinth test beds were planted in heavy duty wire planting boxes with lids, but I had to take the lids off after the first year when some hyacinth shoots were too fat to fit through the mesh. ( I learned quite a number of lessons along the way in this project .) From the sprouts I can see this year compared to recent years counts, it seems like I have lost a large number of hyacinths , even many of the ones in the wire boxes, and I am not sure why --a) the critters climbed in or b)the bulbs may have just rotted from poor drainage during our last 2 wet Januarys, or c) those varieties just sucumbed to other problems.

I will begin posting some photos from this year and from previous years, and hope you will, too

First hyacinth of the year :

This is a found hyacinth that I think is French Roman White. It matches the descriptions that I have read--narrow petals, slender stem, very early, fragrant. The bulbs are very small and have a white tunic. It blooms in early -mid Feb for me.

Chris

I think I will have to try more of these this next fall. I planted a couple in late Nov and they are starting to come up. But not all of them which I am sure is due to rotting bulbs. we got more rain this past Jan than we typically get in a six month period.

Debbie, you asked if the white hyacinths are more likely to perennialize--I also noticed that both 'L'Innocence' and her double sport, 'Mme Sophie', are good at coming back and multiplying.

I have another double white 'Ben Nevis' that has come back and a few bulbs have multiplied in another bed--not my test bed. 'Ben Nevis' seems to split and then the first year the new blooms are singles, but subsequent years they regain their doubleness--but maybe I am not carefully observing shoots from the same bulbs every year. I don't know anything about the parentage of 'Ben Nevis'--only that Stebbings says it was introduced in 1942 by M van Waveren.

Hy o 'Carnegie' , another single white, has come back evey year since 2003. The number of blooms from 5 bulbs started out at 4, for several years dipped to 3 for one year and then increased to 5. The blooms last year were noticably smaller . So it is not exactly a strong multiplier, but it does seem to persist.

Hy o 'Aeilos' also a single white, did well for 3 years, but has declined in number and bloom size the last 2 years.


Chris

My test beds:

I started planting 2 test beds in the fall of 2002. I didn't spend much time thinking about an artistic design, but I did keep records of what I planted and where. Typically, I planted 5 bulbs of each cultivar, but sometimes more and sometimes only 3 (the expensive heritage ones).

Here is a photo of test bed 1 taken Mar 1, 2003. (I can't figure out how to put 2 photos in one post, so I will do another post for test bed 2.)

Chris

Test bed 2

Test bed 2 photo taken Mar 10, 2003

Chris

Wow Chris--beautiful hyacinths, I can almost smell them from here! Thanks for the info on those whites, definitely will try them this year. What's that nice yellow you have, and the peach?

Here's a pink blooming here, nothing special but its an older one; also later than some of the others. What's nice about it is its right by the front door so I get to enjoy the fragrance a lot.
Debbie

Wow those are awesome beds. I am inspired to look up some heirlooms and try them here. I have not noticed the ones from last year coming back but it has been a while since I ahve had time to take a good look around the garden.

Debbie,

The yellow in the test bed photo is 'City of Haarlem' and 'Yellow Queen'. (Not a great idea for identification to plant 2 yellows together!) 'City of Haarlem' is an heirloom from 1893 but is available from 4 rated vendors (check out the Plant Files) plus it was also available McClure and Zimmerman (www.mzbulb.com) last year. 'Yellow Queen' is a deeper yellow, in my opinion, and was also available from mzbulb. Both have bloomed for 5 years in my garden.

The tall peachy one in the background is 'Odysseus' available from mzbulb. It was gorgeous for 3 years then suddenly disappeared along with the other bulbs in the same area of my test bed--which makes me suspect it was not the bulb petering out but some other problem like rot or a critter.

Another peach hyacinth that is very widely available is 'Gypsy/Gipsy Queen' introduced in 1927. It is shorter and more compact that 'Odysseus. In the Cornell multi year study 'Gipsy Queen' was one of the best performers---still producing lots of blooms after 3 years in each of the zones they tested. It blooms a slightly later than Odysseus for me.

Chris
Photo of Hyacinth o 'Odysseus' taken Mar 9, 2003

Yep Chris--City of Harlem is on my "have to have" list for next year! Gypsy Queen looks nice too. Thanks for the info! =)

As I posted earlier, I purchased some form a coop. It was the B&B coop of June 2006. I got 15 City of Haarlem and 5 Red Diamond, a dbl red hyacinth.

While inspecting our property near Dallas I noticed my hyancinths are coming back. Yipee! Seeing that they 're coming back, I will be buying some more this year for Spring 2009.

My! where is the time going??!!??!!??!!

Hi Marie...fancy meeting you here LOL

I just bought a Hyacinth plant the other day at HD and came here to find out what the heck to do with it. It doesn't have a name on it, other than "assorted", so I've been looking at pictures. I did find, though...that it says they do well in containers, so...that is what I am going to try and do with it. That way, I have the ability to move it around my yard..in and out of rain/sun, as needed. It was the STRONG scent from such small little flower that hooked me good!! So, I am gathering that it should be kept dry in the summers? And...when do you buy them as just bulbs and plant them? I am a bulb newbie, other than a few daylillies that I bought, but I want these Hyacinths to do well. Love 'em!!

Yes vossner, aren't hyacinths wunnerful??? And they do come back! I have had some blooming for several years in a row.

Very pretty pictures, Chris - gives us all something to look forward to!

It is quite natural for hyacinths to diminish somewhat in size as the years go by - and that is everywhere, not just in the south. Nothing to worry abourt though - they still flower, still smell terrific, and still give joy.

Thanks everyone for the hyacinth pics and banter, its so nice since the hyacinths here are just pushing their little noses through the surface.

Chris, your hyacinths are wonderful! And great work you're doing documenting their progress in your zone.

I've had good luck with perennialization from most varieties I've tried, just those most commonly found in commerce. And I find I like them much better after they've been in the garden a year or two. The clumped look of multiple stems that aren't so tightly packed with blooms have a more graceful look to me, and they don't get heavy and fall over in warm, rainy weather like the huge, heavy bloom spikes.

Steve, are your hyacinths blooming a little later this year? I had it in my mind you often have blooms by now.

Neal

Great information:) I'm another hyacinth fan. They pack such a punch both with color and fragrance. I'm guessing that the wane in popularity might have something to do with the price. When you see them offered 5 for $6.99 vs say daffodils 12 for $4.95 well, some people make the economic choice.

I have some that are in a giant container by the front door. I haven't messed with them in a few years and they keep coming back. My favorite is Kronos http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/73092/

I'm going to have to go bulb shopping again!

Here is a patch of hyacinths in 2007 on Feb 23.......

And the same patch - I just took this tonight.....so they appear to perennialize pretty well!

Steve--Which cultivar is that? They certainly have multiplied. Must be happy.

Here is a photo of Hyacinth orientalis 'Splendid Cornelia' taken today-Feb 26. They have been open for a few days. This is always one of the first, if not the first one after the white romans.

Chris

Hyacinth orientalis 'Hollyhock' buds

Hollyhock, a double red, usually blooms after mid March in my Zone 9 garden. These buds are still pretty tight and low, but I thought they were interesting in form and coloration.

HI Chris,

Very pretty Splendid Cornelia!! I remember you stating yours bloom early - I don't have any at my new house but did have some at the old place, and they were always the first to come up in late January.

I would like to see your double "Hollyhocks" when they bloom! I haven't really had much experience with them but always wondered how they look in a "real" garden. Please post pictures as they come along!!

Most of my hyacinths bloom in early to mid-March as well. I don't remember the cultivar in the pics but will post when they open!


Steve

Hyacinth Test Bed 2 in Mar 2008 Compare this to earlier photo.

Back in Feb I posted a photo of Test Bed 2 taken in Mar 10, 2003, the first year it bloomed. Here is the same bed (slightly different angle) taken Mar 4, 2008. Although some hyacinths have sparser blooms per stem, and there are some big gaps where a cultivar has disappeared, it is still a colorful display 5 years after the first photo.

Chris

Nice Chris--I actually like the more open look of the flowers as opposed to the tightly packed scapes, myself.
=)

Thanks Debbie. I agree. The open look seems more graceful to me.

I also love 'Bismarck' at the left front. The highly reflexed petals(or is it tepals?) are such an old fashioned look. When it was introduced in 1875 this was probably the latest fashion.

Chris

More "cottagy garden". Probably would tuck well around other early spring bulbs for a nice look.
=)