Muscari Pink Sunrise - Grape Hyacinth

The 'Pink Sunrise' Hybrid Muscari displays an exceptional colour for a muscari. The small flowers of this variety cluster together in conical clusters of opaline pink, with the top fading almost to white. Its fragrant flowering is enchanting in spring, especially when planted in large groups, alone or with white or pastel blue varieties. 'Pink Sunrise' multiplies quickly in good, well-drained garden soil.

The 'Pink Sunrise' muscari is a perennial herbaceous plant with a bulb belonging to the family Hyacinthaceae, or Asparagaceae according to classifications. It is a recent creation, derived from the Muscari armeniacum among others. This exceptional variety has received numerous awards.

The foliage of this muscari, gathered in a small basal tuft, develops in autumn. It is composed of upright, dark green, gutter-shaped leaves, quite wide for a muscari. It will dry up and disappear in late spring. The flowering takes place in late April to early May depending on the region. Tufts of leaves emerge from erect stems, each carrying, 15 cm (6in) above the ground, a narrow, conical inflorescence about 6 cm (2in) long. The 20 to 40 tiny urn-shaped flowers are tightly packed together. They bloom in pearly-pink and gradually turn pale pink. Low temperatures intensify their pink colour. At the top of the inflorescence are a few fertile flowers, almost white. The scent of the flowers is deliciously sweet. After pollination by pollinating insects, trigonous fruits form, containing small round black seeds that germinate very easily. Plants grown from seeds will not always be identical to the parent plant.

Muscari is a rather discreet but versatile and very useful plant in a garden or to decorate gardens-less houses. Its great resistance to cold and summer drought makes it suitable for many situations: in undergrowth, at the foot of trees, as a border to emphasize the design of a pathway, in a rockery with heathers for example, or in Japanese-style gardens. It is also a plant that grows very well in pots, on a window or balcony. It is so accommodating that it will forgive forgotten watering, thrive in gardens without gardeners, or weekend gardens. The pink flowers of the 'Pink Sunrise' variety are beautiful next to the two-tone blue clusters of the 'Peppermint' muscari, the white or salmon-coloured trumpets of narcissus, or the pink cups of triumph tulips.