Jacinto Red Glory - Jacinto fragante

The Hyacinthus orientalis 'Red Glory' is a variety of hyacinth that stands out with its magnificent dark pink-red colour, close to magenta. Its beautiful, fragrant, solidly built spike-like flowering is visible from afar in the garden. It can be forced indoors for winter flowering, bringing a lovely touch of fragrance and colour to the home. It is a bulbous plant that is easy to grow in fertile, well-drained soil, even in dry summers.

The Oriental Hyacinth, the natural species that has given rise to countless cultivars highly appreciated by gardeners, is almost no longer cultivated. This naturalized botanical species can be found in France in Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Alpes-Maritimes, and Lot-et-Garonne.

The 'Red Glory' hyacinth, like its counterpart, now belongs to the Asparagaceae family. This variety was introduced to the horticultural market by Markglory (Netherlands) in 2013. It has a large, round bulb and from spring onwards forms a clump of very bright green ribbon-like leaves, from which emerges a robust, purple, 20 cm long floral stem in March-April. The floral spike, stout in appearance, measures about 13 cm in height. It consists of 53 star-shaped flowers, with a thick, waxy substance, measuring 4.5 mm in diameter. Their colour is precisely described as follows: dark pink-red with a light blue-pink edge. Inside: dark pink-red, transitioning to light blue-pink towards the edges. Anthocyanin floral stem, violet, with a green base. The foliage is deciduous in summer; it reappears at the end of winter.

Among early blooms, the hyacinth is one of the few bulbs with large flowers. Reserve a prime spot for it in the garden, not far from the house entrance to enjoy its fragrance with every pass. It will create spots of colour in your beds at a time of year when the garden begins to awaken. Hyacinths can easily be paired with other early bulbs like grape hyacinths or Greigii tulips. Their flowers are edible, raw or cooked, and have a slightly mucilaginous texture. They can be candied or added to fruit salads. The 'Red Glory' hyacinth is particularly enhanced when paired with early white tulips like 'White Marvel'.