Hyacinthus

Hyacinthus is a genus in the Hyacinthaceae family that has had many taxonomic revisions with various plants moved in and out of it. There are three species left from Turkey to central Asia. One of them, Hyacinthus orientalis is the parent of the many cultivars that are offered for sale each fall and are often forced.


Hyacinthus orientalis is native to the Eastern Mediterranean and is planted in autumn and dried off in summer. The picture below shows some originally grown from seed that are being grown in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens bulb collection. The species is quite different from the cultivars. Photo by Kristina Van Wert.

Hyacinthus orientalis, Kristina Van Wert

Hyacinthus orientalis var. albulus is a long lasting heirloom bulb in the Southern USA. This specimen was collected in Navasota, TX and is self-fertile. Photo by Cynthia W. Mueller.

Hyacinthus orientalis var. albulus, Cynthia Mueller

Here is a similar blue-flowered form which has grown in the Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, zone 7 garden of Jim McKenney for perhaps forty years. It's nothing to look at, but the fragrance is wonderful!

Hyacinthus orientalis, Jim McKenney

Hyacinthus orientalis cultivars come with single or multiple stems, single or double flowers, and are white to cream, pink, blue to purple and densely to loosely packed. Photos below taken by Janos Agoston of named cultivars:

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Anna Liza', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Anne Marie', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Anne Marie', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis'Fondante', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Gipsy Queen', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Jan Bos', Janos Agoston

'Anna Liza', 2 of 'Anne Marie', 'Fondante', 'Gipsy Queen', 'Jan Bos'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Multiflora Pink', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Pink Perfection', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Splendid Cornelia', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Woodstock', Janos Agoston

'Multiflora Pink', 'Pink Perfection', 'Splendid Cornelia', 'Woodstock'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Carnegie', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Carnegie', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'City of Haarlem', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Multiflora White', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Multiflora White', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Yellow Queen', Janos Agoston

2 of 'Carnegie', 'City of Haarlem', 2 of 'Multiflora White', 'Yellow Queen'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Delft Blue', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Ostara', Janos AgostonHyacinthus orientalis 'Ostara', Janos Agoston

'Delft Blue', 2 of 'Ostara'


Return to the PBS wiki Photographs And Information page
Page last modified on September 08, 2010, at 11:15 AM