Hyacinthus Blue Pearl - Garden Hyacinth

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Blue Pearl' is a Hyacinth that can be grown in the garden or indoors. Here, this large-sized bulb is specially prepared for forcing, which allows for advancing its flowering in the heart of winter. What a pleasure it is to enjoy this visual and olfactory spectacle! The large inflorescences, tinged with violet, are particularly decorative and emit a very pleasant fragrance in the house. It will be perfectly at home in a bright and cool room.

While the Oriental Hyacinth is no longer widely cultivated, this species native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions has given rise to countless cultivars, highly appreciated in gardens for their delightful spring flowering or in floristry for their suitability for forcing. 

Formerly classified among the Liliaceae, the genus Hyacinthus is now classified in the family Asparagaceae, like asparagus, as well as Agave and Yucca. This plant has a large oval bulb and forms a tuft of bright green ribbon-like leaves, from which emerges, as early as January indoors, a robust floral stem, 20cm (8in) in length. It bears several dozen star-shaped flowers, carried by short peduncles, thus forming a dense cluster measuring up to 8 or 9cm (3 or 4in) in diameter. Consisting of a tube that opens into a trumpet with six elongated and pointed petals, the flowers of a superb blue, slightly tinged with violet, have their star-shaped structure highlighted by a light blue border. This coquettishness highlights the very graphic aesthetic of the inflorescence, whose sweet perfume equally charms the senses. The foliage is deciduous after flowering. It is at this time that the bulb, whose reserves are exhausted, enters dormancy. The forcing technique consists of exposing the bulbs to cold temperatures for several weeks, starting from the end of summer, in order to break their dormancy and induce the flowering process.

Among early flowering plants, the hyacinth is one of the few bulbs with large flowers and one of the easiest to force for winter flowering. Reserve a prime spot for it in a very bright room, away from any sources of heat. To create winter floral scenes, you can combine 'Blue Pearl' with other bulbs suitable for forcing, such as the 'Peach Blossom' Tulip with its beautiful pink flowers, the yellow 'Golden Harvest' Narcissus, Crocuses, or Scillas. Also consider the numerous bushes that respond well to forcing and will provide a beautiful backdrop: the stunning Japanese Quinces with their vibrant flowers or the Forsythias with their countless yellow flowers...
Hyacinth flowers are edible, both raw and cooked, and have a slightly mucilaginous texture. Depending on preferences, they can be crystallized with sugar or added to fruit salads. In the past, they were a delicacy that could be found under the name "confection of Constantinople hyacinths".