Muscari Double Beauty - Grape Hyacinth

Muscari Double Beauty is a recent variety that stands out with its double flowers. They are tightly packed in a spiky, pastel, colour changing cluster, where white dominates at the beginning and then turns into sky blue. The inflorescence is nectar-rich and slightly scented in the form of a very dense conical cluster that emerges from a clump of herbaceous foliage in early spring. This small bulbous plant rests in summer, unaffected by heat and drought. Lovely when planted with spring bulbs with yellow or blue flowers.

Probably derived from Muscari armeniacum, among others, 'Double Beauty' belongs to the asparagaceae family. This small bulbous plant produces a basal rosette of long, very narrow, gutter-shaped, light green and bright leaves in late winter. Each rosette produces 1 to 3 floral stems on a mature and well-developed bulb, usually in early April. The 12-15 cm (5-6in) tall floral stems bear many small double urn-shaped, initially pure white flowers, tightly packed in a compact 8 cm (3in) cluster. Each flower gradually turns pale blue, from the bottom to the top of the cluster. After pollination, it forms fruits containing numerous round and black seeds that germinate very easily. The foliage dries up and disappears shortly after flowering.

Muscari Double Beauty is an unassuming but versatile and very useful plant in a garden or for decorating homes without gardens. Its great resistance to cold, drought and shade allows it to be used in many situations: in the undergrowth, at the base of trees, along borders to highlight the design of a pathway, in rock gardens, or Japanese-style gardens. It also grows very well in pots, on a window or balcony. It is so accommodating that it will forgive if you forget to water and thrive in neglected or weekend gardens. Its blue flowers are very beautiful next to the yellow trumpets of daffodils and forget-me-nots, the fragrant clusters of early blue hyacinths (Blue Pearl, Delft Blue), or the pink and red cups of triumph tulips.