Hyacinthus Blue star - Garden Hyacinth

The Hyacinthus orientalis or Blue Star Hyacinth is a highly fragrant variety, with a blue azure flowering in various shades. This bulb produces dense spikes of pale blue star-shaped flowers veined with a deeper blue, carried on a violet-coloured stem.  This mid-season variety also exhibits beautiful foliage and glossy leaves.  In the garden, it usually blooms in early March, as soon as the first sunny days arrive. It is possible to force the bulbs for winter flowering at home. 

Although the Oriental Hyacinth is no longer widely cultivated, this species, native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, has given rise to countless popular cultivars in gardens for their delightful spring flowering, or in floristry for their forcing ability. This botanical species can be found naturalized in France in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Alpes-Maritimes, and Lot-et-Garonne regions.

The 'Blue Star' hyacinth, just like its parent species, belongs to the family of hyacinths or asparagus. This cultivar was officially registered in 1982. The plant has a large oval bulb and forms a clump of bright green leaves, from which a very dark, sturdy flower stem emerges in March, measuring 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10in) in length, bearing numerous thick and waxy star-shaped flowers. Their colour is sky blue with a lighter border, veined with violet-blue. They are tightly packed together and emit a sweet fragrance. The foliage is deciduous after flowering. It is at this time that the bulb, whose reserves are depleted, enters dormancy. The forcing technique involves exposing the bulbs to cold for several weeks, starting from the end of summer, to break their dormancy and induce the flowering process. The forced bulbs flower indoors between December and January. 

Among early bloomers, the hyacinth is one of the few bulbs with large flowers and one of the easiest to force for winter flowering. Give it a prime spot in a very bright room, away from any sources of heat. Forcing at home is child's play: for example, use a narrow-necked vase specifically designed for forcing hyacinth bulbs. Fill it with water and place the bulb so that its base is just touching the water. Make sure the water level always reaches the base of the bulb, but never higher.

Feel free to mix different plant species suitable for this cultivation method to create original compositions: tulips, daffodils, crocuses, Greek anemones, squills, as well as branches of Japanese quince, forsythias, apple trees, cherry trees, plum trees. Hyacinth flowers are edible, both raw and cooked, and have a slightly mucilaginous texture. Depending on preferences, they can be candied or added to fruit salads. In the past, they were considered a delicacy and could be found under the name of "Candied Constantinople Hyacinth". The 'Blue Star' hyacinth will look stunning alongside the 'Fondant' variety (soft pink) or 'Jan Bos' variety (raspberry red).