Every fall, I enjoy the ritual of buying and planting hyacinth bulbs to force into bloom in the middle of January. With hardly any effort, I can have hyacinths blooming in late January indoors! I also have them growing in my garden.

If that sounds like a good time to you, read on to discover how to plant hyacinth bulbs, seasonal care tips and more.

What Are Hyacinths?

Common name: Hyacinth.
Botanical name: Hyacinthus orientalis.
Family: Asparagaceae.
Plant type: Perennial bulb.
Mature size: 8 to 12 inches tall.
Bloom time: Mid-Spring, usually around April.
Colors: Blue, pink, white, purple, red and sometimes yellow.
Plant hardiness zones: 4 through 8.
Toxicity: Bulbs are the most toxic, but flowers and leaves are also toxic. Wear gloves when handling the bulbs.

Why Grow Hyacinths in Your Garden?

Hyacinths offer more than just beautiful blooms in your garden. These delightful spring-blooming bulbs come with several practical advantages for gardeners. Unlike many flowering plants, hyacinths require minimal TLC once they’re established in the right conditions. Deer and rabbits typically avoid them, making them ideal for gardens troubled by these common visitors.

The sweet aroma of hyacinths is one of their most endearing features, especially when they’re strategically placed along garden paths or near home entrances, where their delightful scent can greet you each time you walk by.

These versatile bulbs make excellent additions to spring garden beds and container displays, providing vibrant splashes of color when many other plants are still dormant. For maximum visual impact, try incorporating hyacinths into thoughtfully designed front-yard flower beds.

Varieties of Hyacinths

Mass Planting of Perfect Spring Hyacinths
Solidago/Getty Images

You can find hyacinths in almost all colors.

  • Royal Navy has dark blue flowers with double florets.
  • Pearly White has white flowers.
  • Pink Pearl has dark pink flowers.
  • Yellowstone has pale yellow flowers.
  • Delft Blue has light blue flowers.

Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Hyacinth Bulbs

Hyacinths are one of the most fragrant bulb flowers, but they’re as easy to plant as any other bulb.

When to plant hyacinths

The best time for planting hyacinth bulbs is in the fall, typically September to November, when you plant other bulbs, like tulips and daffodils. Generally, this is when soil temperatures are cooler, around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally 2-4 weeks before the ground freezes.

Choosing the location and prepping the soil

Hyacinths perform best in locations that receive full sun (6-8 hours daily) to partial shade during their active growing season in spring, with abundant sunlight encouraging the most impressive blooms. These bulbs require well-drained soil to prevent rot and will adapt to various soil types, though they particularly flourish in moderately fertile sandy loam. If you’re dealing with heavy clay soil and wondering how to plant hyacinths, improve drainage and fertility by mixing in organic materials before planting.

How deep to plant hyacinths

Plant hyacinth bulbs about six inches deep and six inches apart.

Can hyacinths be planted in pots?

Yes, planting hyacinth bulbs in pots is a good idea, especially if you want to force them to bloom indoors.

How to force hyacinths to bloom

Growth of Hyacinth bulbs
Urilux/Getty Images

My favorite way for planting hyacinth bulbs is to force them to bloom indoors. It’s easy! Here’s how I do it:

  1. I purchase bulbs in the fall and place them in a mesh or paper bag, then put them in the back of my refrigerator for about 12 weeks. This is the amount of chilling time they need to force them to bloom. (Avoid putting the bulbs in the same refrigerator as fruits, like apples, that give off ethylene gas. The ethylene gas can damage the bulbs, and they won’t flower.)
  2. After about 12 weeks, I either pot the bulbs in a shallow dish or fill a specialized hyacinth vase with water and set a hyacinth bulb on top. (These vases are often sold in the floral department of grocery stores or at your local florist.)
  3. I put the pots and vases in a sunny window and wait. Within days, roots will begin to form, and the leaves will begin to grow. Then, I have hyacinth blooms in a matter of weeks.
  4. After being forced into bloom, I usually compost the bulb rather than try to plant it outside.

For an even easier way to enjoy forced hyacinth blooms, look for potted hyacinth bulbs for sale in January and February. I’ve even found them for sale already growing on a hyacinth vase, which gives me another vase to add to my stash.

Seasonal Care for Healthy Hyacinths

Caring for hyacinth flowers isn’t all that complicated; you just need to remember a few key things and then enjoy the fragrant clusters of vibrant purple, pink and white flowers that announce the arrival of spring.

Light

Hyacinths grow best in a spot that gets full to partial sun during late winter into spring, when they are growing.

Soil

Hyacinths do best in well-drained soils. If planted in an area that is frequently watered through the summer, the bulbs may rot.

Water

Generally, you don’t need to water hyacinths. They’ll get the moisture they need from spring rains.

Fertilizing

To give your hyacinths the best chance at returning each year, fertilize them after they’ve flowered but before the foliage dies back. If you have good, rich garden soil, you may not need to do this.

Hyacinth flower maintenance: Pruning

Cut back spent blooms so the plant puts its energy into growing a big bulb for the following year. Once the foliage yellows, you can cut it off.

Pests and diseases

Hyacinths aren’t bothered by many pests or diseases. Deer and rabbits avoid them.

Tips for Maximizing Hyacinth Bloom Longevity

  • To propagate hyacinths without purchasing new bulbs, wait until the plant’s foliage has completely died back before digging up the bulbs
  • Examine the base of the main bulb carefully to locate small offset bulbs that have formed naturally around the parent bulb
  • Remove the offsets gently from the main bulb and plant them immediately to ensure the best chance of survival
  • Position the newly separated bulbs in soil conditions similar to what the parent plant enjoyed, as hyacinths thrive when their environmental preferences are met
  • Exercise patience with your new plantings, as these young offset bulbs typically require several growing seasons before they mature enough to produce flowers
  • The entire process works best when hyacinths are already established and healthy in their current location, making propagation a natural extension of good plant care

FAQ

How deep should I plant hyacinth bulbs?

The ideal hyacinth bulb depth is approximately 6 inches. Position them with the pointed tip facing upward. This planting depth helps secure the plant and provides protection from temperature fluctuations throughout the seasons.

Do hyacinths return every year?

Yes, if you plant hyacinths in a location they like (well-drained soil, sunny in the spring), they will often return for years. I’ve had some hyacinths return for more than 10 years. But hyacinths can also disappear or have smaller blooms each year, so if you want to guarantee a good spring display, plant new bulbs in fall and make sure you keep up with your hyacinth flower maintenance.

How many times will a hyacinth bulb bloom?

A hyacinth bulb produces just one flower spike in the spring.

Are hyacinths poisonous to pets?

Yes, hyacinth bulbs, leaves, and flowers are toxic to pets and humans. Wear gloves when handling the bulbs. Wearing gloves when gardening is always a good practice.

Do hyacinths need deadheading?

Yes, you should deadhead hyacinths. This encourages the plant to grow a bigger bulb for next year and not put energy into forming seeds.

What do hyacinths symbolize?

Victorians gave many meanings to hyacinths, according to Karen Azoulay in her book “Flowers and Their Meanings.” Blue flowers symbolized constancy and purple hyacinths meant “I am sorry.” White hyacinths were a symbol for “unobtrusive loveliness.”

What are grape hyacinths?

Grape hyacinths are Muscari armeniacum, a completely different flower from hyacinths. Their flowers look like a tiny clump of grapes.

 Sources

Author
Carol J. Michel
Carol J. Michel is an award-winning author of five gardening humor books and two children's book. She has a degree in horticulture from Purdue University. Carol began writing about gardening on her eponymous website, which led to numerous magazine articles, her books and a podcast called The Gardenangelists. She started gardening as a toddler follo...
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Carol J. Michel