There are 2 versions of Hyacinthus orientalis 'City of Bradford'--one is a pale blue (sometimes called lobelia blue) with darker tips, an...Read Mored the other version is dark blue. I got the pale blue one from John Scheeper's Bulbs in 2006. The dark blue version is what is in the British National Collection and is described in the book, "Spring Bulbs" by Geoff Stebbings.
I'll let the experts figure out which one is the correct one, meanwhile I'll keep growing whatever version I can get. This is the first year I have grown it so I don't know yet about it's typcial bloom time and whether it will perennialize or not. It bloomed in early-mid March in its first year in my Zone 9 garden.
I can also say that the flower buds are a breathtakingly lovely pale blue with lilac purple tips which open into incredibly dense, fat flowers with similar coloring. As the flowers age the blue tips begin to change to a more pink tone which is what shows in my posted photo.
There are 2 versions of Hyacinthus orientalis 'City of Bradford'--one is a pale blue (sometimes called lobelia blue) with darker tips, an...Read More