Skill Level: Intermediate
Muscari comosum or tassell hyacinth is a Mediterranean bulb adapted to cool, moist winters and bright spring sun, where its entire life strategy is shaped by a brief growing window between April and May. Slender, grassy foliage appears early, followed by its distinctive tasselled flower spike, typically reaching 12–18″ tall. Plants are hardy in zone 8, provided they have excellent drainage and a sunny, open position; like many bulbs from dry summer climates, they resent heavy soils and lingering winter wet.
Our Seed Germination Experience
Seed germination is reliable when exposed to natural moderate winter conditions. When seeds are sown in our unheated, greenhouse in mid-December, germination is usually within 60 days later in our zone 8 garden. The real challenge isn’t germination but timing: this species is an ephemeral, giving you no more than three months of active growth before it retreats into dormancy for the rest of the year. Seedlings grow during that brief window, but need time to build bulbs; expect 2–3 years from germination to flowering sized plants.
Photo: naturescene.net
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