Hyacinth 'Woodstock'
"Young Hyacinth, born on Eurotas' strand,
Young Hyacinth, the pride of Spartan land."
-John Milton,
1608-1674
1608-1674
Hyacinthus orientalis 'Woodstock' blooms in March & April. It has maroon-burgundy florets in a shade a bit subtler than the usual gaudy blooms on these extremely colorful flowers.
Ours are eight to ten inches tall. We've four of them growing among Hoop Petticoat Daffodils, where they are a striking contrast to the bright yellow.
The one shown in the first photo, however, is all by itself in a half-wild patch of Muscari botryoides grape hyacinths, contrasting with an equally striking pose amidst the blue.
'Woodstock' is a surprisingly recent offering, introduced by A. W. Prins & Sons in 1997. It originated as a sport of the deep red-pink heirloom 'Jan Bos.'Very, very pleasingly fragrant, hyacinths are worth planting just for the scent. The grape hyacinths are nearly scentless, & a nearby Hino Crimson Azalea is likewise deficient in redolence. Though all these bloom together, there would be hardly any perfume upon the air if not for the inclusion of 'Woodstock' & 'Blue Jacket' cultivars of Hyacinthus.
H. orientalis bulbs have microscopic barbs that irritate many peoples' skin, so they should be handled with gloves while planting in autumn, & afterwards, hands should be well washed before touching one's face or eyes.
Planting time for the bulbs is September-October in cold zones, October-December in mild zones, & late winter or early spring for potted nursery offerings already beginning to bloom. Purchasing in-bloom is more expensive but they weather the transplant very well & look fine their first year, unlike some bulbs which planted in full bloom suffer quite a shock & don't look so great until the following spring.