Muscari comosum
| Muscari comosum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Muscari comosum (common name: tassel hyacinth)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a greenhouse[1]. The seed can also be sown in early spring in a greenhouse. A good proportion of the seed usually germinates within 2 - 3 months. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be left undisturbed in the pot for their first year of growth. Give them an occasional liquid feed in the growing season to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants become dormant in late summer, pot up the small bulbs placing 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another one or two years in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer.
If you have sufficient seed then it is worthwhile trying sowing it in situ outdoors in early spring. This is rather a hit and miss method, but a lot less work than indoor sowing.
Division of offsets in July/August after the leaves die down[2]. It can be done every other year if a quick increase is required[2]. Larger bulbs can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a rich open well-drained soil[2]. Succeeds in any soil and situation[2][3].
Does very well in short grass[2], increasing freely and it can become invasive[1].
The flowers have a pleasing perfume[4].
There is at least one named form, selected for its ornamental value[1].
Range: Europe. A frequent casual, rarely naturalized in Britain[5].
Habitat: Hedgerows, edges of fields, woods and in short grass on dry soils[6][7].
Edibility: Bulb - cooked[8][9][10]. It is about 35mm in diameter[1]. A slightly bitter taste[6] that is appreciated by certain ethnic groups, especially Greeks and Italians[10]. Used in spring[11][12]. The cooked bulbs, preserved in oil, are used as a relish[10].
Medicinal: The bulb is appetizer and diuretic[6][10]. The bulb is rich in mucilage and can be crushed then applied as a poultice to reddened skin[6].
Pollinators: Insects, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Hyacinthus comosum. Leopoldia comosa.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Grey, Charles. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate, 1938.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.