A Year in Flowers, Week 13: The Balcony Garden

Muscari armeniacum (Grape Hyacinths)

The colour, flower structure, and growth habit of Muscari armeniacum have totally captivated me.

 
 

“Muscari armeniacum, commonly called grape hyacinth, is an early spring-blooming bulbous perennial that is native to southeastern Europe (including Armenia). It features conical racemes of slightly fragrant, tightly packed, deep violet blue, urn-shaped flowers atop scapes rising to 8” tall in early spring. Each bulb produces 1-3 scapes with 20-40 flowers per scape. Each flower has a thin white line around the rim. Dense inflorescence purportedly resembles an elongated, upside-down bunch of grapes, hence the common name.”

Information source: Missouri Botanical Garden