Muscari Dark Eyes

Description

Muscari ‘Dark Eyes’ – grape hyacinth

Botanical name: Muscari ‘Dark Eyes’
Common names: Grape hyacinth
Family: Asparagaceae
Plant type: Bulbous perennial
Habit: Low, clump-forming
Pot size: 1 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 15cm tall × 5cm spread per bulb; clumps up over time
Foliage: Narrow, grassy leaves; dies back after flowering
Flowers: Spikes of deep blue bells neatly rimmed with white, spring (March–April)
Scent: Lightly scented
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Well-drained; poor to average; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H5 (hardy, to about −15°C); USDA zones 4–8
Exposure: Sheltered or exposed; tolerant
Native range: Species native to Turkey and south-west Asia
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Low toxicity; may cause mild stomach upset if eaten in quantity by people or pets

Muscari ‘Dark Eyes’ is a striking grape hyacinth with spikes of deep blue bells neatly rimmed in white during spring. Compact and dependable, it is ideal for rockeries, containers and the edges of borders.

GardenAdvice notes

A hardy, clump-forming bulb, the grape hyacinth carries dense little spikes of bell-shaped flowers in spring above grassy foliage. Easy, reliable and cheap to plant in quantity, it multiplies steadily and naturalises well, giving a strong hit of colour in rockeries, borders, pots and grass.

Growing & planting

Plant the bulbs in autumn in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade, about 8cm deep and 5cm apart, or in generous clusters for the best effect. It naturalises freely, so choose a spot where it can spread — rockeries, border fronts, beneath deciduous shrubs and in grass all work well.

Care & maintenance

Very easy. Allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering. Leave clumps undisturbed to multiply, lifting and dividing only when congestion reduces flowering. Some grape hyacinths produce leaves in autumn that persist over winter, which is normal. No feeding is usually needed.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide congested clumps as the foliage dies back, replanting the bulbs.
• Offsets: Detach the many offset bulbs when dividing and replant.
• Seed: Self-seeds readily in favourable spots.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free. Bulbs may rot in very wet soil. Otherwise little troubled by pests or disease, and reliably long-lived.

Uses in the garden

Ideal for rockeries, the front of borders, gravel gardens, containers and naturalising in grass or beneath deciduous shrubs, and superb for underplanting tulips and daffodils.

Wildlife value

The nectar-rich spring flowers are a valuable early food source for bees and other pollinating insects.

Toxicity & safety

Grape hyacinth has a low level of toxicity: eaten in quantity it may cause mild stomach upset in people or pets, but it is not considered seriously poisonous.

GardenAdvice tip

The white-rimmed deep blue bells of ‘Dark Eyes’ give it a crisper, more refined look than the ordinary grape hyacinth, well worth planting where you’ll see it close up. Like all muscari it looks best in generous clusters, and it’s superb woven through tulips or daffodils to carpet the ground beneath them in blue.

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