Cultivated for more than 400 years, Muscari botryoides originated in France and Italy. The flowers are phenomenal, especially when planted in large groups or drifts; the small bulb delivers a bright, clear, sky-blue flower, a hue that is rare in the spring garden. These bulbs are included in the list of historic plants found in the gardens of Williamsburg. These hyacinth cousins naturalize easily. The leaves last a long time after the flowers are gone, so carefully choose their position in the garden. Once the bulbs are established, it is hard to completely eradicate them from the garden, but not impossible.
The name Muscari comes from the Latin muscus, so named for the scent of some of the species, and botryoides because the inflorescence resembles a miniature cluster of grapes.
I planted about 3 bags of these little guys around my mailbox several years ago. As you may be able to see in this photo, I really need to dig and divide them because they have become so dense that it is difficult to interplant pansies or summer annuals within the foliage. The blue flowers from my bulbs are two-toned. The foliage lasts all season here in zone 7B.
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