Muscari armeniacum

Muscari armeniacum is a small plant which is perfectly hardy in all regions and so prolific that a few bulbs planted in autumn soon form an eye-catching, beautiful, flowering and fragrant carpet each year in spring, in the middle of the lawn or under a leafy hedge. This variety is a very vibrant medium blue and of a very large size that will form several small clusters of tightly packed, very blue, scented flowers. An ideal selection for beautiful flowering pots and sunny borders from its first year of cultivation!

Muscari armeniacum, sometimes called Armenian grape hyacinth, is a plant of the asparagus family. This small bulb is native to the mountains of southeastern Europe, Armenia, Turkey and the Caucasus, where it endures severe frosts. The plant produces a basal rosette of long, narrow, gutter-shaped, light green and vibrant leaves. Each rosette produces 3 to 5 flowering stems on a mature and well-developed bulb. The 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8in) tall flowering stems, bear 20 to 40 small, urn-shaped, vibrant blue and scented flowers, tightly packed in a compact cluster that is 10 cm (4in) tall. The flowers are often highlighted with a small white margin. After pollination, fruits form containing many round, black seeds that germinate very easily.

Muscari is a rather unassuming but versatile and useful plant in a garden or for decorating balconies and windowsills. Its great resistance to cold, drought, and shade allows it to be used in many situations: in the woods, at the base of trees, as a border to emphasize the design of a path, in a rock garden with heathers, or in Japanese-style gardens. It also thrives in pots, on a window or balcony. It is so accommodating that it forgives if you forget to water and thrives in neglected or weekend gardens. Its blue flowers are very beautiful alongside the yellow trumpets of daffodils or the pink and red cups of triumph tulips.