Muscari comosum

TASSEL HYACINTH

Muscari comosum
TASSEL HYACINTH

Muscari comosum flowers have a permanent “bad hair day”.
Hence the common name of Tassel Hyacinth.

Fragrant deep royal purple mad top-knots

Because basically it is a very large, tall Grape Hyacinth, but with the most amazing dishevelled top-knot.
The blooms are dark, rich royal purple, with a sweet scent like juicy, freshly crushed grapes.

Tough bulb to plant and forget

Muscari comosum is a tough hardy bulb you can plant and forget.
So it can be left in the ground permanently to form a colony by making offsets each year.

Naturally adapted to hot & dry places

Muscari comosum is also well adapted to hot and dry conditions as it grows wild Italy and Greece.
Where the bulb is eaten, as well as admired for it’s jaunty spring flowers.
So the bulbs are harvested is spring-early summer for pickles, preserved in oil for relish, while the flowers are picked for vases indoors.

Good cut flowers as well as edible bulbs

Flower stems do make lovely cut blooms for floristry, and will scent your room with their sweet fruity  fragrance.

Muscari comosum is a very frost hardy bulb and can tolerate hard frost down to at least -20C.
Plant the bulbs in Sun or Partial Shade because they will thrive equally well in either.
They certainly look stunning under the old olive trees in the countryside of Italy.
And can thrive in a wide range of soils from sandy, rocky, gravel to loam; and even clay as long as it is well drained.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: Muscari comosum

INDOORS: First sow the seeds in a punnet, on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then pat the seeds gently to the surface of the mix to ensure good contact.
And barely cover with approx. 2mm. of sieved mix, sand, or grit.

Now thoroughly moisten the sown punnet by standing it in a shallow water bath.
And allowing the moisture to percolate to the surface from below.

Then wrap the sown, moist punnet in cling-wrap or a plastic bag.
And place in the fridge (not freezer) for 4-6 weeks.
Because these seeds need a period of chilling to stimulate germination.

After 4-6 weeks remove the punnet from the fridge.
Moisten again, and place in a warm, well-lit position (not in direct sun).

You can use a heat mat to provide ideal temperatures, if you have one. Though it is not essential, because a warm window sill will do the job,
It is also beneficial to cover the punnet with a clear plastic lid, to maintain moisture.

Temperatures around 23-28C. are recommended for rapid and optimum germination.

Seeds germinate in 21-30 days.
It is usual with Muscari for some seeds to come before others.
Because staggering germination is a normal protective strategy for this plant.

SEED COUNT: 20 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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