Muscari armeniacum-Grape Hyacinth on 4-4-15, #234-10.
Grape Hyacinth
Muscari armeniacum
mus-KAR-ee ar-men-ee-AH-kum
Synonyms of Muscari armeniacum (21) (Last updated on 2-7-21): Bellevalia aperta (Freyn & Conrath) Grossh., Botryanthus micranthus Baker, Botryanthus szovitsianus Baker, Muscari alexandrae A.P.Khokhr., Muscari apertum Freyn & Conrath, Muscari colchicum Grossh., Muscari concinnum Baker, Muscari conicum Baker, Muscari cyaneoviolaceum Turrill, Muscari elegantulum Schchian, Muscari maweanum Baker, Muscari micranthum Baker, Muscari pauperulum Stapf, Muscari pendulum Trautv., Muscari polyanthum Boiss., Muscari pyramidatum Velen., Muscari schliemannii Freyn & Asch., Muscari sosnowskyi Schchian, Muscari szovitsianum Baker, Muscari woronowii Tron & Losinsk., Pseudomuscari apertum (Freyn & Conrath) Garbari
Muscari armeniacum H.J.Veitch is the correct and accepted scientific name for this species of Muscari. It was named and described as such by Henry Veitch in Garden in 1872. Many websites and databases say the species was first named and described by John Gilbert Baker in Garden Chronicles in 1878, but Mr. Veitch preceded Baker’s description in 1872. Plants of the World Online by Kew recognizes Mr. Veitch as the author of the species but the link to IPNI (International Plant Names Index) only lists Muscari armeniacum Baker and Muscari armeniacum Leichtlin ex Baker. I sent an email to the senior content editor of Kew so he can forward the discrepancy to IPNI. Then the link to IPNI will match POWO. It is correct on WCSP (World Checklist of Selected Plant Families).
The genus, Muscari Mill., was named and described as such by Philip Miller in the fourth edition of Gardeners Dictionary in 1754.
Plants of the World Online lists 54 species in the Muscari genus (as of 2-7-21 when I last updated this page). It is a member of the plant family Asparagaceae with 118 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made.
Almost every place I have ever lived there have been Grape Hyacinths growing in the yard. We really don’t think about them that often in our day to day lives because most of the time, we don’t even notice them. They are dormant most of the time when we working in our flower beds or mowing the yard. There are a few good-sized clusters here, so when I mow, I try to go around them. There are a few stragglers in the yard, however, that do get mowed over. Often times when I am digging in the flower beds, I will dig up bulbs by accident.
THERE ARE A FEW LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.
Muscari armeniacum on 3-20-17, #313-2.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
FAMILY: Asparagaceae
ZONES: USDA Zones 4-8
FLOWERS: Blue flowers in April
LIGHT: Full sun to part shade
PROPAGATION: Bulbs
After they flower in the spring, the bulb goes dormant then returns in early autumn. They spread nicely through offsets and are not invasive. How could something as small as Muscari be invasive anyway?
Muscari armeniacum (Grape Hyacinth) on 4-20-18, #427-1.
There are many cultivars available in various shades of blue, white, and pink. I think maybe I should buy some of the other colors.
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant. If you notice I made an error, please let me know.
The Belmont Rooster 