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Grape Hyacinth

Muscari botryoides (moo-SKAR-ee bow-tree-OY-dees AL-bum)

Family: Asparagaceae Unknown Groundcover (<1 ft)

Pearls of Spain produce dense clusters of pure white flowers with a mild fragrance. Foliage appears in the fall and blooms appear in mid-spring. This plant performs best sited where it will get full sun, either in the afternoon or morning and partial shade the remainder of the day. It tolerates summer drought, but requires moisture during the growing season. Plant bulbs to a depth of 5 inches. and space 1 to 2 inches apart, or 30 to 60 bulbs per square foot. These attractive ornamental flowers are good for use in borders, rock gardens, and woodland gardens. This plant is occasionally damaged by deer. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests. More information on Muscari botryoides .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 46 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 5 - Groundcover (<1 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Anemone blanda Muscari armeniacum Muscari azureum

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Bulb; Ground Cover; Herbaceous Perennial
Life cycle
Bulb; Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 8 in. | Width: 0 ft. 2 in. - 0 ft. 4 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Open
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Narrow, semi-erect leaves which widen slightly at the tips.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Bell; Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Pure white pearls, tightly packed into narrow flower spikes. Blooms mid-spring (April/May).
Bloom time
Spring
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
France to Ukraine
Distribution
Eastern Canada and United States south to North Carolina.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Patio; Slope/Bank; Walkways; Woodland
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; English Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#white flowers #easy to grow #spring flowers #fragrant flowers #hardy #rock garden #border planting #drought tolerant #spring flowering bulbs #HS302 #bulb #woodland
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Drought

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.