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Hyacinths : Flower FactsOriginsThe word hyacinth comes from the Greek Hyakinthos, meaning handsome young man who in Greek mythology was loved by the sun god Apollo. One day they were practising throwing the discus but the jealous god of the West Wind, who was also in love with Hyakinthos, blew the discus back at him and it fatally wounded him. From his bloodshed grew a flower, which the god Apollo named after him. Hyacinths were brought into Western Europe in the 16th century and were first cultivated in Austria in the 1500's. During the 17th and 18th centuries, like the tulip, it was to be found only in the collections of very rich flower collectors. Because of the hyacinth's pervasive perfume, the bulbs were exorbitantly expensive. The bulbs are now grown in Holland and Great Britain. Hyacinthus orientalis belongs to the Liliaceae family and so grows from a bulb. Nowadays the cut flowers are sold with roots intact at the bottom to make the flowers last longer. Don't cut these off, but just give the stems a good rinse. Flower Availability and Vase LifeNovember to April Colours: Usually white, pink, peach and blue. More unusual colours to look for include dark wine purples, rosy reds, navy, egg-yolk yellows and soft oranges. You may be interested in these flowers: |
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