Content
- 1 Description of muscari flowers
- 2 What does a muscari onion look like?
- 3 Poisonous muscari or not
- 4 Muscari is a perennial or annual plant
- 5 When muscari bloom
- 6 How muscari reproduce
- 7 Types and varieties of muscari
- 8 When to plant muscari outdoors
- 9 Planting and caring for muscari outdoors
- 10 Planting and caring for muscari at home
- 11 Diseases and pests
- 12 Muscari in landscape design
- 13 Conclusion
Muscari flowers are a herbaceous bulbous plant belonging to the Asparagus family. They exude a scent reminiscent of musky. Other names for the muscari flower are mouse hyacinth, viper onion, and grape hyacinth.
Description of muscari flowers
It is a small plant with a height of 0.4-0.6 m. It consists of a bunch of fleshy basal linear leaves 10 to 17 cm long and a leafless flowering arrow. The number of arrows is from 2 to 7. At the end there is an inflorescence in the form of a multicolored dense brush, similar to a bunch of grapes. Its length is an average of 8 cm. The inflorescence consists of small flowers with short stalks - blue, white, blue, purple, pink. The upper specimens are sterile. The size of the flowers of the mouse hyacinth is about 5 mm in length and in diameter. There are six stamens, the perianth is barrel-shaped or cylindrical, it consists of six accrete denticles, which are bent outward. The fruit is a heart-shaped or spherical capsule of three nests, the seeds are black, wrinkled. The description of the muscari plant differs depending on its species and variety.
What does a muscari onion look like?
The bulb of mouse hyacinth is 1.5-3.5 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. It has an ovoid shape and a scaly light surface.
Hyacinth bulbs are small in size
Poisonous muscari or not
Muscari is a poisonous plant. Its bulbs are especially toxic. In folk medicine, hyacinth is used for the preparation of only external agents. You can not use inside.
Muscari is a perennial or annual plant
Mouse hyacinth is a perennial. It tolerates frosts down to -35 ° С and is one of the first to appear in spring. It grows in different climatic zones, has a good ability to acclimatize.
When muscari bloom
The flowering period of muscari is from April to May. The plant has high decorative qualities due to its spectacular inflorescences. The variety of muscari flowers in the photo below.
The popularity of mouse hyacinth is due to the variety of shades of inflorescences
How muscari reproduce
Many species reproduce by self-seeding. With the cultural breeding of mouse hyacinth, this method is not used.
Muscari can be grown from seeds and bulbs.
In the first case, there are two ways:
- In strong specimens, leave peduncles with seed pods.Collect ripe grains from the lower shoots and sow in prepared, well-fertilized soil 2 cm deep. Seedlings will appear in the spring, the bulb will form for 3 years, flowering will begin on the fourth.
- Grow seedlings from the seeds in containers, then plant the muscari in the ground. The technology is quite complicated, and at home, the percentage of germination and survival is usually low. The seeds must go through a stratification process. It is necessary to prepare high-quality soil, strictly maintain a certain temperature and humidity. With the seedling method, mouse hyacinth blooms in the third year.
To propagate muscari with tubers, they must be taken from a specimen that has grown for 2-5 years in one area. When the leaves are completely wilted, you should carefully dig out the mother's bulb, separate the children from it and plant the muscari in the prepared pits. Flowers appear the next year. The bulbs can be stored until spring: they must be dried and placed in a container with wet river sand or peat, periodically checking and removing rotten ones. Store at +17 ° C and 70% humidity.
Types and varieties of muscari
There are over 40 types of muscari. On the basis of the most popular, a large number of varieties were bred in order to extend the flowering period and create a variety of color solutions for landscaping. A close-up photo of muscari flowers can be seen below.
Mouse hyacinths differ in color and size of buds, shape of inflorescences and leaves, height of peduncles
Armenian
It is one of the most popular types of muscari among landscape designers and hobby gardeners. Grows up to 20 cm in height. Blooms in May for three to four weeks. Leaves are linear, their length reaches 15 cm, width - 5 mm. Bell-shaped buds, blue, about 5 mm in diameter. Flowers are collected in small inflorescences about 4 cm high.
Distributed in nature in the southwest of Transcaucasia and northwest of Turkey.
Some muscari varieties with photos and names are presented below.
Blue Spike
This terry muscari was bred in Holland in the 60s of the XX century. Blue Spike blooms in May for about 3 weeks. The height of the Blue Spike hyacinth is 20 cm. Its inflorescences are dense, branched, with many sterile blue flowers (up to 170 pcs.) With branched pedicels. Seed capsules are not formed. The bulb gives up to three children per season.
Muscari Blue Spike features lush flowers suitable for cutting
Big Smile
The height of Big Smile is about 25 cm. The length of the inflorescences can be up to 12 cm, excluding the stem. The flowers are muted blue, with a white border around the edges. Budding occurs in April and May.
Muscari Big Smile - a variety with expressive long inflorescences
Cupid
It differs in rather small size, its height is about 15 cm. Cupido inflorescences are collected in sky-blue bells.
Muscari Cupido stands out against a backdrop of lush greenery on sun-drenched lawns
Fantasy Creation
The Armenian Muscari Fantasy Creation has a height of about 20 cm. Flowering occurs in late May and early June.
Fantasy Creation terry muscari buds change color, at first greenish, then turn bright blue
Pink Sunrise
Flowering time is May. Muscari Pink Sunrise is about 15 cm high. Pink Sunrise inflorescences are collected from pinkish bells.
Pink Sunrise's delicate and fragile muscari go well with other varieties of hyacinth
Pink Surprise
Muscari Pink Surprise reaches 15 cm.The height of the peduncle is about 6 cm.
Blossoming time of Muscari Pink surprise - April and May
Christmas Pearl
Christmas Pearl has tall bushes. ten
Hyacinth inflorescences of bright blue-purple bell flowers are best planted in groups
Mount Hood
Flowering occurs in May. This mouse hyacinth grows up to 15 cm in height. Mount Hood flowers are light blue with white tops.Looks good next to dark blue muscari.
Hyacinth Mount Hood is distinguished from other species by its white tufts.
Peppermint
Muscari Peppermint is distinguished by a dense, short stem and pale blue small bell flowers with a white border, tightly pressed against one another. Peppermint blooms in April and May for about four weeks.
Peppermint attracts with abundant flowering and pronounced pleasant aroma
Dark Eaz
The height of the Dark Eyes bush is 20 cm. The buds are deep blue, along the edges there is a white border.
The beginning of flowering occurs at the end of April, the buds resemble dark blue bells with a contrasting light border
Azureum
Muscari Azureum is a plant with a dense, rather short stem and a racemose dense inflorescence, consisting of small bright blue bell flowers. Azureum grows up to 15-20 cm.
Azure flowers with half-open buds look good in mixed beds
Artist
The height of the plants is about 15 cm. The brushes consist of variegated fragrant buds - bright blue, with a white border around the edge.
The unblown inflorescence resembles a green bunch of grapes.
Grozny
Plants of this species have a height of about 12 cm. The length of the leaves is 12 cm, the width is 5 mm. Flowering begins in the first days of May and lasts about three weeks. The inflorescences are narrow, about 5 cm long. The buds are blue, with a purple tint, along the edge of the bells - white teeth.
Album
Muscari cluster-shaped album begins to bloom at the end of April. The height of the bush is 15 cm.
The flowering of muscari Botyoides Album lasts about 15 days.
Carneum
Muscari botryoides Carneum flowers have a delicate whitish-pink hue.
The inflorescences consist of tightly set bells
Osh (Tubergena)
Ocean Magic bushes reach a height of 25 cm. This type of muscari is thermophilic, it must be covered for the winter.
The combination of white, blue and blue buds allows muscari to be planted among other flowers of the same shades
Blue Magic
A young variety with sky-blue inflorescences with a spectacular white tuft. Blue Magic blooms in late April. Grows up to 20 cm.
Each Blue Magik bulb forms up to seven peduncles
Oceanus Magic
Oceanus Magic is a modern muscari variety, reaching a height of 20 cm. It blooms in late April and May. Inflorescences of Oceanus Magia are bicolor - the lower buds are blue, the upper ones are white.
The peculiarity of the flower is two-color brushes: the lower buds are blue, the upper ones are white
Magika Album
A popular variety of mouse hyacinth with egg-shaped inflorescences consisting of white buds.
Album bush grows up to 20 cm
Neglected
Blooms in April. The bush grows up to 20 cm. The main species differences are belt-like leaves, lily-of-the-valley-like dark blue flowers with a white border around the edge. It grows in the wild, there are no varieties.
The species Neglected is listed in the Red Book
Broadleaf
The plant reaches 15 cm in height. The flowering time of Muscari broadleaf is April, the duration is up to 25 days. Several peduncles are formed from one bulb. The leaves are shaped like tulip leaves. Inflorescences are cylindrical, dense, not monochromatic - there is a transition of colors from sky blue to purple. Muscari Latifolium in the photo below.
Mouse Hyacinth Broadleaf has a spectacular color transition
Large-fruited
Heat-loving species. The homeland of the plant is the Turkish and Greek coast of the Aegean Sea. In temperate climates in winter, it grows in pots indoors. Differs in large flowers of yellow, blue, brown.
Golden Fragrant
Muscari bush Golden Fragrants grows up to 30 cm, inflorescences - up to 8 cm. In the middle lane, they are grown only in greenhouse conditions for distillation.
Unopened Golden Fragrance inflorescences are purple, then turn into fragrant clusters with yellow flowers at the edges with a brown border
Pretty
Grows in Israel. The height of the peduncles is 15 cm. The width of the leaves is 2-5 mm, their edges are curved. The inflorescences are ovoid with small buds (4 to 6 mm), bright blue. It begins to bloom in winter.
Small wild plant with narrow leaves
Pale
Differs in unpretentiousness. Peduncles are low. The buds are bell-shaped, pale blue, pale pink or sky blue with a white top.
In nature, the Pale species grows on the mountain slopes in the Caucasus and Crimea
White Rose Beauty
A popular variety of Pale Muscari. Another name is White Beauty.
White Beauty is distinguished by pale pink delicate flowers
Crested
Under natural conditions, it grows in meadows and forest edges. Muscari crested begins to bloom in late May and ends in June. Plant height - 15-20 cm. Crescent leaves. It has an original appearance - on the inflorescence there is a purple crest, consisting of flowers on arcuate pedicels. It is actively used for landscaping: it looks good on lawns and lawns against the background of grass. By the end of flowering, it grows strongly.
Plumosum
The most popular variety. Comsum Plumosum is distinguished by highly branched stems with a large number of sterile purple flowers. Planting and caring for Muscari Plumosum are standard.
Plumosum is prized for its lush purple flowers and long-lasting fragrance.
Belozevny
Flowering time is April. Inflorescences are ultramarine with a violet tinge, along the edge of the flowers there is a border of white teeth.
The homeland of the plant is the lowlands of the Black Sea region
Long-flowered
In nature, it grows in the west of the Caucasus. It begins to bloom at the end of April. The height of the arrow reaches 15-16 cm. The number of ribbon-like leaves is from 4 to 6. The flowers are azure, the perianth is cylindrical with white teeth along the edge.
Long-flowered muscari species grows on calcareous soils in the alpine mountain belt of the Caucasus
Ordinary
Found in Southern and Central Europe, in the Caucasus. It grows up to 12 cm. Leaves are erect, linear, almost flat.
Flowers of common mouse hyacinth are blue, blue-violet, less often white
Liriope muscaria
This species is popular with gardeners. Unlike mouse hyacinth, it belongs to rhizome plants. Planting and caring for liriope muscari is often done at home in pots. Differs in a vertical root system, consisting of intertwined roots and cones. The Liriope flower has long, tough, dark green sword-shaped leaves that may have light longitudinal stripes. The peduncle can reach 60 cm, purple or white inflorescences are located on it. Flowering time is autumn.
Liriope propagates by seed or by dividing the rhizome
When to plant muscari outdoors
The optimal time for planting muscari is autumn. Mouse hyacinth is winter-hardy, so the bulbs feel good in the ground, even without covering. If winter is without snow, you need to put a layer of dry grass or special material on the planting site.
When to plant muscari in autumn
Autumn planting of muscari is carried out from mid-September to early October in regions with early winter. In warm climates, planting times are from mid-October to early November. Experienced gardeners do this on the waxing moon.
Planting muscari in spring
In spring, plants are usually transplanted when they are too overgrown and interfere with other crops. A new place is prepared in advance, organic fertilizer is applied. Muscari is gently undermined and transferred with a shovel to the prepared area. A hole is formed to the size of an earthen coma. After moving, the mouse hyacinth is sprinkled with earth and watered. The next spring, the plant blooms as usual.
You can plant muscari bulbs in spring. They do this after the snow melts, when the ground warms up to 5 degrees. Flowering will begin next spring.
Mouse hyacinth blooms next spring after planting
Planting and caring for muscari outdoors
The plant is unpretentious, especially its wild species. Varietals are more finicky and require more attention from gardeners. In general, growing muscari and care in the open field does not cause any particular difficulties.The culture takes root best in cool weather, so autumn or early spring is suitable for planting.
Site and soil requirements
For muscari, it is recommended to choose sunny areas, although it does not exclude its placement in the shade of shrubs or trees. It is advisable to plant mouse hyacinth on elevated ridges, since the delicate bulbs do not tolerate waterlogging of the soil, which occurs in spring when the snow melts.
The plant prefers loose, slightly acidic soils. Sandy loam is ideal. First, the soil must be fertilized with compost or humus. It is problematic to grow muscari in clay soil, as well as in an area with stagnant moisture.
How to plant muscari
When planting a mouse hyacinth, you must follow the rules:
- First you need to check for damage on the surface of the bulbs. Then they must be treated with a fungicide or manganese solution. The wells are spilled with the same tool 24 hours before planting.
- The hole should be three bulbs deep. This is approximately 7 cm for large specimens and 3 cm for small ones.
- The distance between large bulbs is at least 10 cm, between small ones - from 5 cm. Small tubers can be planted in a bunch of 10-25 pieces, without observing the distance. In the spring, if necessary, separate some bushes.
- Spill the wells with water, wait until it is absorbed. Put humus or complex fertilizer at the bottom of the holes, then add a layer of coarse sand. After that, place the onion, sprinkle with earth, compact and water.
To reproduce the mouse hyacinth, the babies are separated from the mother's bulb
Follow-up care
After planting azure muscari, care consists mainly of watering and feeding. During flowering, abundant watering is required, but without water accumulation. To prevent moisture from stagnating, it is necessary to provide the soil with good drainage. Watering should be stopped as soon as the buds disappear.
It is recommended to feed mouse hyacinth with liquid fertilizers for flower crops, as well as humus or peat diluted with water. They are introduced into the soil twice:
- After thawing the soil in the spring.
- When the sprouts reach a few centimeters.
It is allowed to recharge again - when buds and flowers appear. Some gardeners only feed organics to muscari in the fall. You can do without fertilizers, but then it will bloom poorly and not for too long.
In addition to watering and feeding, mouse hyacinth requires weeding and loosening.
After flowering, which lasts 3-4 weeks, the peduncles must be cut off and the leaves left. If the bulbs remain in the ground for the winter, potash-phosphorus fertilizers must be applied to the soil. Leaves should be trimmed in autumn.
Most varieties of mouse hyacinth are frost-hardy, so they are not sheltered for the winter.
When and how to replant muscari
Muscari should be transplanted to another place every 6 years. During the autumn digging, the mother bulbs are removed from the soil, the daughter bulbs are separated from them. Usually about 30 of them are formed during this time. The resulting planting material is placed in holes prepared in advance.
Planting and caring for muscari at home
You can grow muscari at home in a pot. For this, varietal specimens are used. They bloom for about two weeks.
Forcing muscari at home
Mouse hyacinth, like many bulbous plants, works well for the winter flower technique.
Choose large, healthy bulbs. If they are purchased, then processing is not required and they can be planted immediately.
You can use your own mouse hyacinth bulbs, which must be dug out of the ground when the leaves are completely dead. They need to get rid of soil residues, sort out, choose the best ones, dry them at room temperature, send them for storage until September. Can be wrapped in paper, cotton wool or placed in dry sawdust.
Then for three months they are stored in a cool place: the first is kept at +9 degrees, then at +5. 2 weeks before the end of the cold regime, the bulbs are placed in pots with a substrate. They need to be buried about 2 cm in the ground so that the top is on the surface. After 2 weeks, they are moved to the windowsill, where it is quite warm and light. Moderate watering is required. After 15 days, the mouse hyacinth will bloom. After forcing, you can dig it in the garden.
Hyacinth is often used for forcing for sale.
How to care for your muscari at home
Mouse hyacinth loves good lighting. It can be placed on a sun-drenched windowsill, where it will not suffer at all from direct rays. Windows to the west or east are best suited.
It is not advisable to keep mouse hyacinth inside the room, away from windows, unless there is good natural light there throughout the day. In this case, it is better to place it near the windows facing south.
Additional lighting will be required if forcing at atypical times.
Muscari are demanding on conditions of detention. The plant needs a change in temperature. First, a transition from warmth to coolness is necessary, then - to cold, after that - to warmth.
Mouse hyacinth prefers moderate room temperatures and does not tolerate heat quite well. The best time to bloom is 16-18 degrees.
Muscari loves airing, stagnant air is not suitable for him.
During flowering, mouse hyacinth must be protected from strong drafts.
During the warm season, the muscari should be watered frequently, but not abundantly. When cool, light watering is required. In cold weather, hyacinth is not moisturized. The plant is suitable for soft water. The procedure must be carried out with care, water should not fall on the bases of the leaves.
To cause flowering 3-4 days earlier, you need to water with warm water - about 30 degrees.
In case of heat, when the temperature significantly exceeds 18 degrees, it is advisable to provide high humidity in the room, then the mouse hyacinth will bloom longer. To do this, damp pebbles are placed in the trays for the plant or an air humidifier is placed next to it. At the optimum temperature for the plant, high humidity is harmful.
Indoor varieties of mouse hyacinth, as a rule, are not fed, since they bloom for only 2 weeks. Top dressing is allowed during the formation of buds. You need to apply a full dose of fertilizer, suitable for bulb crops, once.
Diseases and pests
Mouse hyacinth is susceptible to certain diseases and pests.
Often, ants are found on the plots, which are carriers of aphids. As a result, whole colonies of this small pest appear. To get rid of aphids, you first need to fight the ants. In addition, hyacinths can be treated with soapy water, which forms a protective film that prevents the insect from spreading. This remedy is also suitable as a prophylaxis against other pests. To prepare such a solution, you need to grate laundry or tar soap and dry it. Then add 1 tbsp to 1 bucket of water. l. shavings and stir. After watering, treat the muscari with the resulting solution from the watering can.
Another pest that attacks mouse hyacinth is the spider mite. It can be recognized by the fine mesh of cobwebs on the plants. To combat it, insecticides are used.
Muscari bulbs are attractive to field mice. To get rid of rodents, plants with thorns or a strong smell are planted nearby, which will act as a repeller.
Harmful insects not only destroy plants themselves, but also carry pathogens. The most dangerous for muscari is the mosaic caused by the virus. In plants affected by this disease, leaves turn yellow, specks and whitish stripes appear on their surface. Such specimens are not subject to treatment, they must be dug up and disposed of.
Muscari in landscape design
Mouse hyacinth is popular among gardeners, it is actively used in landscape design.It is suitable for creating multi-tiered flower beds, looks good in rock gardens, in compositions with flowering plant species, in decorative vases. Low-growing muscari are ideal for creating curbs.
Muscari with tulips and daffodils, planted islets, look great. Spring flowers stand out spectacularly against the lilac-blue carpet of the shorter hyacinths. You can see what a muscari looks like in a flower bed in the photo below.
Harmonious combination - orange hazel grouse and blue muscari
Conclusion
Growing muscari flowers on your site is very exciting. It is especially joyful to see the result of your labor in spring - a carpet of blue inflorescences. It is a pity that the blooming period of the mouse hyacinth is so short.
