Hyacinthus x orientalis Sweet Invitation

The Hyacinthus orientalis Sweet Invitation is a variety of hybrid hyacinth with a warm colour in shades of orange, rather rare for this superb bulbous plant with an enchanting fragrance. There is a touch of indulgence in these beautiful spikes where the florets open in orange-pink tinged with red and then fade to pale apricot and creamy. The flowers emit a sweet and sugary scent on mild days, and when exposed to the sun, which seems to come from nowhere. It can be adopted both in the garden, in light and well-drained soil, and in pots for winter flowering in the house. In the garden, it usually flowers in April.

The Oriental Hyacinth is hardly cultivated anymore, this species is native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. It 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 Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Alpes-Maritimes, and Lot-et-Garonne.

The Sweet Invitation hyacinth was introduced in 2011 in the Netherlands. Like its ancestors, it belongs to the hyacinth family, or asparagus family. This variety has a large oval bulb and forms a tuft of ribbon-like leaves from spring, a very bright green, from which, in April, a robust flowering stem, 20-25 cm (8-10in) long, bearing numerous star-shaped flowers, tightly packed together, with thick and iridescent substance, emerges. This nectar-rich flowering is a good source of food for bees while flowers are still scarce in the garden. To prevent the plant from exhausting itself to produce fruits, it is strongly recommended to prune the faded flower spikes. The foliage is deciduous in late spring and summer, and 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 or along a pathway to enjoy its fragrance with every passing. It will bring spectacular splashes of colour to your flower beds. Hyacinths can easily be paired with other early bulbs such as Chionodoxas, hybrid crocuses, or early Tulips humilis. 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 a delicacy that could be found under the name of "candied hyacinths of Constantinople".