natural herbs
Italian Grape Hyacinth
Muscari botryoides
Herb: Italian Grape Hyacinth
Latin name: Muscari botryoides
Synonyms: Hyacinthus botryoides
Family: Hyacinthaceae
Edible parts of Italian Grape Hyacinth:
The flowers and flower buds can be pickled in vinegar.Description of the plant:
Plant:
BulbHeight:
25 cm(9 3/4 inch)
Flowering:
MayScent:
ScentedBulb
Habitat of the herb:
Meadows, thickets and roadsides in Eastern N. America, where it is a garden escape.Propagation of Italian Grape Hyacinth:
Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a greenhouse. The seed can also be sown in early spring in a greenhouse. A good proportion of the seed usually germinates within 2 - 3 months. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be left undisturbed in the pot for their first year of growth. Give them an occasional liquid feed in the growing season to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants become dormant in late summer, pot up the small bulbs placing 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another one or two years in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer. Division of offsets in July/August after the leaves die down. It can be done every other year if a quick increase is required. Larger bulbs can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer.Cultivation of the herb:
Meadows, thickets and roadsides in Eastern N. America, where it is a garden escape.Medicinal use of Italian Grape Hyacinth:
None knownKnown hazards of Muscari botryoides:
None knownPlant information taken from the Plants For A Future.