Let’s discover 9 species of Muscari to add to your spring garden:
1. M. armeniacum
Renowned for its vigorous growth and large flowers of cobalt blue to royal purple, this variety is probably the most familiar of all species.
Hardy in Zones 4-8, the flower racemes are full and tightly packed, growing on 6- to 8-inch stems. Armenian muscari are lightly fragrant, with cultivars available in shades of blue, pink, and white.
The bulbs create spectacular color drifts when mass planted in open areas or under deciduous trees, or in borders, containers, and rockeries.
This is a good species to force indoors for winter blooms.
‘Delft Blue Mix’
You can find bags of 25, 50, or 100 ‘Delft Blue Mix’ bulbs – a mix of blue, white, and purple grape hyacinths – available at Eden Brothers.
‘Blue Grape’
Or for a solid field of blue, you can find bags of ‘Blue Grape’ bulbs available at Burpee.
2. M. aucheri
This grape hyacinth species puts on a reliable burst of color with pretty, single, or bicolored flowers in cool shades of china or periwinkle blue and white – florets are darker on the bottom and transition to light-colored caps.
A compact species, flowers bloom atop 4- to 6-inch stems in early spring and have a fruity and slightly musky fragrance.
Well-suited for large drifts, ribbon borders, containers, rockeries, or underplanting daffodils and tulips, this species is hardy in Zones 5-9.
‘Dark Eyes’
‘Dark Eyes’ is a hybrid cross between M. aucheri, M. neglectum, and M. pallens, and is popular for its densely packed, sapphire blue flowers.
Packets of 15 bulbs are available at Burpee.
3. M. azureum
Unlike other species with a cinched mouth, M. azureum is known for its delightful, fluffy florets of baby blue to white.
The densely packed racemes take on a conical shape and each floret opens like a small bell, giving a loose, flouncy look to the inflorescence.
