Hyacinth

Flower care guide

Hyacinth

A dense column of small starry flowers with a scent that fills a room from the hallway. One of the first things to arrive after the winter and, for many people, the smell of spring itself.

In season

Late winter through spring.

Also known as

Hyacinthus

Caring for your hyacinths

If your hyacinth stems still have the pale bulb base attached, leave it on. It feeds the flower and the stem lasts noticeably longer with it than without.

Use cool water and keep it shallow. Change it every two days.

The stems are fleshy and full of sap. That sap irritates some people's skin, so rinse your hands after handling and arranging them.

The flowers open from the bottom of the column upward, and the scent gets stronger as more open. If it becomes too much in a small room, move them somewhere with more air rather than throwing them out.

As the column empties the stem may bend under its own weight. That is the flower finishing, not a fault.

A single hyacinth stem can scent an entire room, which is why florists usually use one or two rather than a whole bunch.

Arrangements with this flower