Hyacinth
The Hyacinth plants are bulbous herbs. Hyacinths are native to the eastern Mediterranean region east to Iran and Turkmenistan. They are named after the Hyacinth from Greek mythology.
Hyacinths are sometimes associated with rebirth. The Hyacinth flower is used in the Haftseen table setting for the Persian New Year celebration Norouz held during the Spring Equinox. The prophet Mohammad is reported to have said “If I had but two loaves of bread, I would sell one and buy hyacinths, for they would feed my soul.”
The Dutch, or Common Hyacinth of house and garden culture was so popular in the 18th century that over 2,000 cultivars were cultivated in the Netherlands, its chief commercial producer. This hyacinth has a single dense spike of fragrant flowers in shades of red, blue, white, or yellow. A form of the common hyacinth is the less hardy and smaller blue- or white-petalled Roman hyacinth of florists. These flowers should have indirect sunlight and are to be moderately watered.
The related grape hyacinths (Muscari), sometimes called baby’s-breath, are very low, mostly blue-flowered plants that are similar in appearance to hyacinths and are also commonly cultivated.