Musk Hyacinth
Muscari neglectum
Also listed as Muscari bucharicum, Muscari grossheimii
Also known as Grape Hyacinth, Starch Grape Hyacinth, Dark-flowered Grape-hyacinth
Climate Match for your location
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A small spring-blooming bulb with dense spikes of tiny, fragrant purple-blue flowers that resemble grapes. It naturalizes readily in sunny locations and requires minimal maintenance once established.
Why grow it
Muscari neglectum offers reliable early spring color with minimal intervention once established, making it useful for naturalizing in sunny bulb meadows or perennial borders. Compared to larger hyacinth species, it requires less staking, takes up minimal space, and spreads modestly through offsets and self-seeding without aggressive spread. The fragrance and grape-like flower clusters provide textural variety among spring bloomers, and it tolerates poor soils better than many spring bulbs.
Watch out for
In areas with consistently moist springs, this bulb may rot if drainage is poor, so amending heavy clay soils with sand or grit improves survival rates. Deer and rodents sometimes browse or dig bulbs, particularly in newly planted areas, so protecting young plantings may be necessary. Overcrowded plantings become less floriferous over time and benefit from dividing every few years to maintain vigor.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asparagaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A small spring-blooming bulb with dense spikes of tiny, fragrant purple-blue flowers that resemble grapes. It naturalizes readily in sunny locations and requires minimal maintenance once established.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Musk Hyacinth grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Muscari neglectum offers reliable early spring color with minimal intervention once established, making it useful for naturalizing in sunny bulb meadows or perennial borders. Compared to larger hyacinth species, it requires less staking, takes up minimal space, and spreads modestly through offsets and self-seeding without aggressive spread. The fragrance and grape-like flower clusters provide textural variety among spring bloomers, and it tolerates poor soils better than many spring bulbs.
Watch out for
In areas with consistently moist springs, this bulb may rot if drainage is poor, so amending heavy clay soils with sand or grit improves survival rates. Deer and rodents sometimes browse or dig bulbs, particularly in newly planted areas, so protecting young plantings may be necessary. Overcrowded plantings become less floriferous over time and benefit from dividing every few years to maintain vigor.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asparagaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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