Short, densely bunched spikes of fragrant little white bells, barely a foot tall: that is ‘White Pearl’ hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis ‘White Pearl’), grown for flower beds, garden boxes and bouquets, and best of all beside pastel, pink or blue. Plant the bulbs in tight groups rather than singly, and you get clustered spots of colour instead of scattered stems.
‘White Pearl’ hyacinth at a glance
Name
H. orientalis ‘White Pearl’
Family
Liliaceae (lily family)
Type
bulb flower
Height
8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm)
Exposure
full sun, part sun
Soil
ordinary
Outdoor blooming
spring
Indoor blooming
(forced) winter
In pots or in the ground, this hyacinth is magnificent when combined with other colors.
Planting ‘White Pearl’ hyacinth
Outdoor ‘White Pearl’ hyacinth planted directly in the ground for spring blooms:
Plant in groups, four to six inches apart
It is best to plant your ‘White Pearl’ hyacinths in fall, 4 inches (10 cm) deep, and they will bloom in spring.
‘White Pearl’ hyacinths are much more appealing if you create clustered spots of color.
For that, you should plant bulbs in groups, spacing them 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) apart.
The more, the merrier!
Potted ‘White Pearl’ hyacinths for fall or winter blooming
‘White Pearl’ hyacinths can easily be forced, which allows them to bloom earlier and decorate our homes during winter.
It is possible to make hyacinths bloom inside your house, from fall till the beginning of spring.
Starting in September and until January,
Bulbs set touching give the clumping effect
In a pot or tray, prepare a bed of soil mix 1 to 1½ inches (3 to 4 cm) thick.
Place the bulbs so that they touch, to create a nice clumping effect.
Cover with soil mix, barely letting the tip of the bulbs jut out.
Place the pot in a cool, dark and rather moist place.
As soon as leaves sprout, place the pot in a well-lit place that is slightly warmer, around 50°F (10°C).
A few days later, you can bring them in your house to admire the blooming.
In the ground or forced in a pot: which suits you?
The same bulb behaves very differently depending on whether you plant it outdoors or force it for indoor flowers. This table sets the two routes side by side, plus the trick of rescuing a forced pot afterwards.
In the ground or forced in a pot: which suits you?
Method
When to start
When it blooms
Blooms again?
Bulbs planted outdoors in the ground
Early to mid-autumn, 4 in (10 cm) deep
Early spring
Yes, the natural yearly cycle
Forced in a pot or tray indoors
Early autumn to midwinter
Early winter, anywhere from autumn to early spring
No, flowers once only
Forced pot moved out into the ground
After the indoor flowers fade
Spring, one or two years later
Yes, once settled outdoors
Whichever route you take, group the bulbs closely: this hyacinth is at its best in clustered spots of colour.
Caring for ‘White Pearl’ hyacinth
Outdoor ‘White Pearl’ hyacinths planted directly in the ground
‘White Pearl’ hyacinths that are planted in fall will bloom in spring. This is the normal, natural blooming cycle.
When blooming is over, cut leaves back only when they have already turned yellow, and only then. The span of time between blooming and wilting leaves is when the bulb is stocking up on nutrients for the next blooming cycle.
Potted ‘White Pearl’ hyacinths
‘White Pearl’ hyacinths purchased and grown in pots are for indoor blooming in winter. It is useless to keep them in their pots, because they will not bloom again, unless they are planted outdoors.
When blooming is over, no need to keep your potted hyacinths, because those that have bloomed indoors will only bloom once.
However, if you plant them outdoors in the ground, they will bloom again one or two years later.
All there is to know about ‘White Pearl’ hyacinth
With their nice bunched flowers, they produce fragrant little white colored bells.
‘White Pearl’ hyacinths put on a great show at the very beginning of spring outdoors, and in December when grown indoors.
In flower beds, garden boxes or in bouquets, they can be combined with pastel, pink or blue colors for outstanding decorative impact.
Wear gloves when handling the bulbs, as their skin contains oxalate crystals that can leave hands itchy.
Keep forced pots away from radiators and fruit bowls.
Inserting a thin cane beside the bulb and loosely tying the stem to it is a standard way to stop a top-heavy forced hyacinth flower spike from flopping over the pot rim.
Smart tip about hyacinth
Don’t be surprised by the fact that ‘White Pearl’ hyacinths bloom less and less over the years, this is inevitable.
Images: CC BY 2.0: Mic; Pixabay: Nile, Public Domain Pictures
Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.
