Muscari aucheri Early Magic

Muscari aucheri 'Early Magic' is the first blue muscari to bloom, sometimes as early as January indoors. This relatively rare horticultural variety forms small clusters of light blue flowers in two successive waves. Like all muscaris in the 'Magic' series, this newcomer is perfectly hardy and its short foliage does not hide the flowers. It adapts well to both pot and border cultivation, in sunny and well-drained soil.

Muscari aucheri is a bulbous plant from the Asparagaceae family. It is native to alpine meadows in the mountains of Turkey. 'Early Magic' is small for a muscari, sometimes reaching 15cm (6in) in height by 10cm (4in) in width. Its vegetative cycle begins in September-October, when its foliage appears (often 3 leaves are observed). Its fairly wide, short, ribbon-like leaves are greenish-grey on top. They maintain a neat appearance after flowering and persist throughout winter. One stalk emerges in March-April, depending on the climate and weather, and is soon followed by a second one. The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers 2 to 6cm (1 to 2in) long and about 1 to 2cm (1in) wide. The urn-shaped flowers are small, measuring only 5 to 6mm in length. They are tightly packed together, forming a narrow and dense cone. The flowers are a light blue colour. This bulb naturalises slowly but steadily in light soil.

Plant Muscari 'Early Magic' en masse, in groups of about ten bulbs, in a flowery carpet or along a path to achieve a good decorative effect. They can also be used to randomly naturalise in a meadow, and they work well at the base of bushes. Its beautiful blue will enhance all other spring bulbs, such as botanical narcissus and Japanese iris. It can also be planted with other muscari varieties (M. latifolium, M. armeniacum) to further expand the colour palette. They blend well with daffodils and wood anemones, creating delicate scenes. Pink or white tulips are also good companions. The bulbs can be easily forced indoors, creating potted flowers to adorn the New Year's table.