Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Atlantic Camas, Southern Wild Hyacinth

Description:

Elegant powder blue star-flowers on tall stems steal the show in springtime; underplant with lower growers as leaves will die back; good plant for wet edges of ponds and bogs; plant bulbs in fall; a strong plant that seldom needs support

Ornamental Features

Wild Hyacinth features showy spikes of powder blue star-shaped flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early summer, which emerge from distinctive navy blue flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its grassy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Wild Hyacinth is an open herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Wild Hyacinth is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Wild Hyacinth will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 6 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen! As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for clay, alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by multiplication of the underground bulbs.

Wild Hyacinth is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.