While hyacinths ( Hyacinthusspp . ) arespring - flowering bulbs , hyacinth flowers can be enjoyed indoors at any sentence of year .

The vernacular jacinth ( Hyacinthus orientalis ) , which is winter stout in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 8 , is the variety of hyacinth most often grown as an indoor plant , in part because this flowering light bulb is easy to impel to bloom in the wintertime in containers .

Tip

Hyacinth bulbs can cause skin irritation , so it ’s a good idea to outwear baseball mitt when handle them and wash out your hands afterward .

Common Hyacinth Characteristics

The vulgar jacinth , also known as the garden hyacinth , is native to Turkey , Syria and Lebanon . This coinage of bulb is rise for its beautiful flowers , which uprise on spike and are extremely fragrant . They are covered in six - petaled floweret , each with a duration of about an inch .

Each hyacinth electric light make a single flower angry walk . Hyacinth bloom are often blue , pink , over-embellished , red or white depending on the cultivar . City of Haarlem ( Hyacinthus orientalis’City of Haarlem , ' zone 4 to 8) is a yellow cultivar . Blue Jacket ( Hyacinthus orientalis’Blue Jacket , ' zona 4 to 8) is a popular navy blue cultivar .

It ’s a good idea to tire gloves while handle hyacinth electric-light bulb , as these bulbs contain toxins that can cause skin pique .

Purple common hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis) growing in a pot.

How to Force Hyacinth Indoors

Hyacinth bulbs indoors can beforced to bloomout of season by pot the lightbulb in well - drain land and then lay in them at temperatures between 40 and 45 ° F in a dark berth for a menstruation of 12 to 16 weeks . verify the tops of the bulbs glint out through the dirt . The potting mixing should be watered whenever it dry out . It is also imperative that the tummy have drainage hole .

Hyacinth bulbs can be forced to bloom indoors by break them to temperatures between 40 and 45 ° F for three or four calendar month .

The icebox is one alternative for storing hyacinth bulbs for forced bloom . However , if you are storing yield that mature off the plant , like apple , in the icebox at the same prison term , you should cover the bulbs with a fictile bagful . This is because apple and other yield emit ethylene gas as they mature . This can interfere with the flowering and growth of medulla .

Once yellow shoots begin to come out from the medulla , transfer them to a cool localization with temperature between 50 and 60 ° degree Fahrenheit and low light . Once those shoots turn green , which ordinarily takes less than a workweek , you could move the plants into brighter light , like on a windowsill , and keep them at temperature between 60 and 70 ° F .

Hyacinth Care Indoors

Potted hyacinth plants that have been force to bloom should be watered regularly . It take about four workweek for bulb removed from storage to begin flowering .

Caring for hyacinths indoors also entails revolve these houseplant frequently so that all function of it receive the same amount of light and raise good and even .

Deadheading spent hyacinth flowers keep them from producing seeds , which allows bulbs to save energy for bloom the next twelvemonth . Flowering ordinarily declines after several growing time of year , however .

References