Hyacinthus Firelight - Garden Hyacinth

The  Hyacinthus orientalis 'Firelight' is one of the many hybrids derived from the oriental hyacinth. It displays a delightful spike, with a perfect shape, composed of flowers in a warm and soft shade, somewhat indefinable, hovering between a sweet orange and a flesh pink. Gently touched with white, they have the slightly waxy appearance of tuberoses, and are, like them, fleshy and deliciously fragrant. This bulbous plant can be grown both in the garden, in fertile and well-drained soil, as well as in pots for winter flowering indoors. Outside, it blooms in the middle of the hyacinth season, in March-April.

If Hyacinthus orientalis is no longer cultivated much, this species native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions has given rise to countless highly appreciated 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.

The 'Firelight' hyacinth, just like it, belongs to the family of hyacinthaceae, or asparagaceae. It has a large oval bulb and forms, from spring onwards, a tuft of bright green ribbon-like leaves, from which, in April-May, emerges a robust floral stem,  20 cm (8in) long, bearing numerous star-shaped flowers, diaphanous, with a thick and translucent substance, in very soft peach or salmon-orange shades, and with a sweet fragrance. The foliage is deciduous in summer; it reappears in late winter.

Among early flowering plants, the hyacinth is one of the few bulbs with large flowers. Reserve a special place for it in the garden, not far from the entrance of the house to enjoy its fragrance every time you pass by. It will bring spectacular bursts of colour to your flower beds. Hyacinths can easily be paired with other early bulbs such as Chionodoxas or early Tulips. Their flowers are edible, raw or cooked, and have a slightly mucilaginous texture. Depending on your preferences, you can crystallize them with sugar or incorporate them into fruit salads. In the past, they were considered a delicacy and could be found under the name of "candied hyacinths from Constantinople".