Hyacinths delight in spring with colorful, fragrant blooms. Dense along the stem, the tubular flowers in purple, blue, pink, gold, and white rise above bladed foliage. The pigment-saturated blooms carry an intensely sweet scent to enchant the senses. With few pest and disease problems, the low-maintenance blooms have few demands despite their show.

Plant the easy-care, cold-hardy bulbs along with tulips and daffodils for an early-to-mid spring show. Carefree, they grow with little tending given the right conditions. Spring-flowering bulbs are also easy to install, making quick work toward a rewarding show to welcome the warm season.

Hyacinths are easy to incorporate into the landscape. Plant them among groundcovers, perennials, spring ephemerals, and other spring-flowering bulbs. Like daffodils, hyacinths repel foraging mammals like deer, rabbits, and squirrels with their natural toxins.

Follow this guide for everything you need to know about when to plant hyacinth and how to get it right.

About Hyacinths

Planting en masse fills borders with fragrant charm.

Hyacinths are ancient bulbs with a cultivation that spans more than 400 years, even appearing in the writings of Homer and Virgil. They were among the most popular bulbs of the 18th century, gracing Victorian-era gardens and greenhouses with hundreds of cultivars in circulation.

Hyacinthus orientalis is a bulbous herb in the Hyacinthaceae family. The Mediterranean-climate dwellers are native to Eurasia and Turkey, with about 2000 cultivars available today that distill years of breeding. Hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, they flower most vigorously in their first growing season, offering a burst of color and fragrance as temperatures warm.

Often with double florets on compact stems, the tubular flowers reflex slightly for a graceful but stiff, structural look. Hyacinths make gorgeous woodland edge plantings, naturalizing under tree canopies in dappled sun. Plant them along bed edges or en masse for a sweep of color and perfume. They perform well in pots with other bulbs and underplanted among cool-season annuals for a pop-up surprise when conditions suit in spring.

The intensely fragrant flowers attract bees as a nectar source. Bring the sweet perfume inside with a single snip, as one bloom fills a room with fragrance.

Optimal growing conditions for hyacinths include:

• Full sun to partial shade (four or more hours of sunlight daily)
• Organically rich, well-draining soils
• Regular moisture during the growing season, but tolerates drought
• Mulch in zone 4 for winter protection

When to Plant Hyacinths

Ten weeks of chill ensures a lively bloom.

Fall is the best time to plant hyacinths and other favorite bulbs that flower in the spring. Whether planting them in the ground, in containers outdoors, or to “force” them for indoor flowering, October is prime time for many areas. The warm start gives roots time to develop before frozen soils. The cool temperatures that follow allow a necessary chill period.

Plant hyacinth bulbs early in the season, or when soil temperatures begin to cool and nighttime temperatures are in the 40s and 50s (between 4 and 13°C). Whether forcing blooms in pots or growing them in the landscape, bulbs require cold exposure for 10 weeks. Consistent temperatures at 40 to 45°F (4-7°C) for these weeks trigger growth when temperatures warm.

To decide when to plant hyacinth in your garden, work backwards from your frost dates or the time you want them to flower indoors.

The Best Site

Clay beds improve with organic matter and care.

Situate hyacinths where you’ll enjoy their fragrance in addition to the colorful florets. The Mediterranean native flower best in full sun (six or more hours of sun), but can flower in less.

They prefer regular moisture immediately after planting and during the growing season, but not prolonged saturation. Good soil drainage is essential to avoid bulb rot. Hyacinths usually don’t need supplemental irrigation with average seasonal moisture.

To amend lean or heavy soils, topdress the bed with compost. Incorporate it as you tuck in the bulbs, or turn it in lightly prior to planting. In poor soils ike clay, add a generous amount of organic material to increase aeration and drainage while providing nutrients. For potted specimens, use a high-quality, well-draining potting mix.

How to Plant

Bulbs planted stem-up rise proudly through spring soil.

When sourcing bulbs, opt for large ones for the strongest overwintering and flowering. Plant them in groups, whether in high numbers in drifts or several bulbs in a pocket. Space the bulbs about five inches apart and four to five inches deep. Situate the bulb on its base with the stem-end pointed up.

Hyacinths, and especially the bulbs, contain toxic alkaloids that can cause minor skin irritation. Wear gloves when handling and planting the bulbs to prevent an allergic reaction.

Forcing Early Blooms

Containers produce vibrant flowers on schedule.

Like daffodils and tulips, forced hyacinths in containers initiate early flowering. You can force them in pots indoors with pre-chilled bulbs from a grower, or outdoors to achieve their chill period.

Pre-cooled bulbs bloom around holiday time, while those started in pots outdoors, and brought inside after their chill requirement, flower around Valentine’s Day. The exact time depends on when you plant your hyacinth, too.

Partially fill a container with well-draining potting media, and place the bulbs about 2 inches apart. Plan to leave one or two inches of headroom beneath the pot’s rim. Situate the top of the bulb about an inch below the soil surface. Water well until it pours through the container’s drainage holes.

Indoor Forcing

Gentle light and shade prolong cheerful indoor flowers.

To force pre-chilled bulbs indoors, keep them in a cool space (about 60°F or 16°C) with bright light out of direct sunlight. Move them to their display area when they’re almost ready to flower. Keep the blooms cool at night to prolong flowering, keeping them away from sunlight and heated drafts to last the longest.

Forcing Outdoors, Then In

Outdoor chill prepares bulbs for lively winter awakening.

For hyacinths to achieve their chill time, plant them in early fall and place the pots outside a few weeks before the first anticipated frost. An unheated garage, basement, cold frame, or greenhouse works well, too.

If outdoors, nestle them close to a building or wall under a layer of leaves. They’ll receive adequate seasonal moisture. If indoors or undercover, keep the soil moist, but with minimal watering sessions to avoid soggy conditions.

Move the containers indoors by mid to late January to continue developing for blooms in a few weeks.

Rooting in Water

Glass vases show roots while flowers bloom beautifully.

Hyacinths also root in water in specialized bulb vases. Place the pre-chilled bulb in a glass vase or jar just wide enough to submerge only the lowest portion of the bulb (the root zone) in water. In too much water, the bulb rots.

Start the bulbs in fall for a winter display. Vase-rooted hyacinths make lovely gifts for an indoor display with delicious fragrance.

Post-Bloom Care

Fading blooms should be clipped to save energy.

Hyacinths bloom for several years if left in the landscape, though their vigor declines. They revert to species characteristics over time, with smaller, less dense blooms in subsequent seasons.

To foster blooms for the next year, cut off flower stalks as soon as they fade. Removing the aged flowers prevents the plant from directing energy into seed production. Instead, energy reserves are built in the bulb.

Let foliage naturally decline after flowering. Leaves continue to photosynthesize and direct nutrients to the bulbs for storage. The stores promote overwintering and future growth. Clip the leaves or keep them as natural mulch when they’re completely yellow or brown.

Popular Varieties

In an array of sweet colors, many with double florets, hyacinths suit any spring color scheme. They complement other bulbs in a mix-and-match arrangement in dreamy hues.

‘Carnegie’

Snow-white spikes brighten garden beds with soft elegance.

‘Carnegie’ has large, densely-packed spikes of snow white florets. It’s among the purest white hyacinths available. The Dutch heirloom has soft, creamy overtones to its large plumes.

‘Carnegie’ is sweetly scented but not as pungent as some in the species. If you prefer a milder perfume and full, fluffy, flower wands, ‘Carnegie’ is a versatile choice.

‘Pink Pearl’

Perennial growth ensures returning beauty season after season.

‘Pink Pearl’ is a favorite from 1922 with tight flowerheads in delicate tones. In ribbons of silvery pink, florets have deep rose centers and pinkish-white edges. Its perfume matches the sweet blossoms.

‘Pink Pearl’ is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient. It perennializes well for years of color and fragrance.

‘Delft Blue’

Early blooms surprise with soft color before the trees develop leaves.

‘Delft Blue’ is a 1944 performer with soft lilac-blue blooms. A reliable bloomer, frothy, loaded stems float amongst the bladed leaves. 

The Dutch cultivar is another Award of Garden Merit recipient and a good option for early forcing. It flowers for two to three weeks in mid-spring.