Early Spring Colors in the Yard: Blue, Lavender, Purple, Yellow

Dutch or common hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) presents fragrant flowers on a single spike. The flowers may be colored:

• blue,
• orange,
• pink,
• red,
• violet,
• white, or 
• yellow.

With its wide distribution and its lengthy history of cultivation, this cherished ornamental plant is represented by over 2,000 cultivars.

Greek mythology associates hyacinths with rebirth. Hyacinthus (Greek: Ὑάκινθος, Hyakinthos) was the son of Clio (Greek: Κλειώ, “recount, make famous”), the muse of history. His father was variously genealogized, to two different areas of Greek, as:

• King Pierus of Macedon in the northeast.

Or, in southern Greece in southeastern Peloponnese (Greek: Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnisos, “island of Pelops”) as:

• King Oebalus (Greek: Οἴβαλος) of Sparta
• King Amyclas (Greek: Ἀμύκλας) of Sparta.

The sun god, Apollo (Greek: Ἀπόλλων, Apollōn) and the god of the west wind, Zephyr (Greek: Ζέφυρος, Zéphuros, "the west wind"), vied for Hyacinthus’ affections.

• The evil eye of jealousy opened in Zephyr when Hyacinthus showed a clear preference for Apollo.
• In revenge, while Apollo and Hyacinthus were taking turns throwing a discus (a heavy stone disk), Zephyr blew Apollo’s throw off course so that the disk, hurtling against Hyacinthus’ head, killed him.

Rather than allow Hades (Greek: Άΐδης, Aidēs, “the unseen”), the god of the dead, to lay claim to the prince’s body, Apollo created a flower, the hyacinth, from Hyacinthus’ blood.

Anciently Spartans commemorated the death of Hyacinthus with the Hyacinthia (Greek: Ὑακίνθια, Hyakínthia), an annual three-day festival held in early summer during the Spartan month of Hyacinthius. The stark mourning of the first day spiked into joyous celebration of Hyacinthus’ rebirth, with all glory due to Apollo, on the second day. The events of the third day, which apparently involved solemn observations and probably secretive mystery rites, were never detailed in historical accounts, but did entail the offering of a length of fabric, a chiton (Greek: χιτών, khitōn), woven by Spartan women, to Apollo.

Grape hyacinths (Muscari) are sometimes confused with Hyacinthus orientalis. Nevertheless, they emit a musky scent which differs from the fragrance of H. orientalis. Another significant difference is the shape of their flowers.

Of the four subgenera, or subgroups, of grape hyacinth, Botryanthus (Muscari botryoides), popularly called baby's breath, is the subgroup that is often viewed as the true grape hyacinth.

Most commonly colored pale to blackish blue, the urn-shaped flowers of grape hyacinths resemble grape clusters. The mouth of the flower is constricted. As such, its silhouette, unlike the common hyacinth, does not flare into a bell shape.

Muscari armeniacum in the Botryanthus grouping is the most common cultivar of grape hyacinth. Muscari armeniacum produces blue, purple, or white flowers on stems that are usually about 6 inches tall.

My spring hyacinths: Lavender blue hyacinths and lavender purple grape hyacinths

The hyacinths that have emerged in my yard are lavender blue hyacinths and lavender purple grape hyacinths. They brighten the otherwise slumbering garden that stretches along the northeast half of my front porch. On the terrace to the east they gently hug a burgeoning boxelder (Acer negundo), a species of maple that is native to North America.

Native to eastern North America, the Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica) is also called Virginia cowslip, lungwort oysterleaf, or Roanoke bell. Its pink buds enchantingly turn blue as they open into baby blue bell-shaped flowers. These bells of blue give a soft, warm impression that is reminiscent of a baby blue bunting in a baby boy’s room. When they nod in a light spring breeze, the entire plant appears to be an orchestra of bell ringers playing a melody beyond the range of human hearing.

My spring bluebells: soft bells of baby blue

The Virginia bluebells in my yard enjoy the safety of the box elder tree on the east terrace. Two tall eastern white pines (Pinus strobus) form a parallelogram (a quadrilateral with two paired sets of parallel sides) with the boxelder and a silver maple (Acer saccharinum), which still lacks its leafy finery. This arrangement seems to be beneficial for the bluebells as they slightly and unobtrusively have expanded their domain to encompass the entire northwestern slope at the foot of the magnanimous box elder, which shades almost every spring cultivar on the eastern terrace.

Wild violets are in the Viola genus in the violet family, Violaceae. The leaves of Viola species are typically heart-shaped. The flowers and leaves of wild violets seem to rise magically from the ground. Wild violets tend to have herbaceous stems, wherein their leaves and stems are conjoined indistinguishably into acaulescence (Latin: a + caulis, “without a stem”). Thus, lacking any noticeable stems, their flowers and leaves seem to be sprouting directly out the ground. They are neckless (i.e., stemless) wonders.

The profusion of flowers ranges from violet or purple to blue, cream, yellow, and white. Cultivars are sometimes bicolored, oftentimes violet and white.

Of mysterious origin, parma violets are attributed to the species of Viola alba. These exotic violets are thought to have been introduced into Italy in the sixteenth century, where they long have been appreciated for their fragrance and floral coloration.

Parma violet petals are an essential ingredient of Crème Yvette, a uniquely flavored liqueur created originally by Sheffield Company of Connecticut in the 1800s and produced subsequently by Charles Jacquin et Cie of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, beginning in the 1930s.

Parma Violets are a violet-flavored tablet confectionary produced by Swizzels Mallow of Derbyshire, East Midlands, England. The popular, pale violet sweet discs are named as a tribute to these legendary, richly prized violets.

Native to Europe and Asia, the species Viola odorata was introduced into Australia and North America, where it has adapted well. Its common names include common violet, English violet, and garden violet. Because of its distinctive, sweet fragrance, it is usually referred to as sweet violet.

Violet syrup, made from violet extract, is popular in France. In 1912 Georges Monin founded Monin in Bourges, in central France, as purveyors of flavored syrups for beverages and foods. In 1992, Olivier Monin, Georges' grandson, assumed presidency from his father, Paul, and instituted the company's global expansion into the Asia, the Middle East, and the New World. In support of American distribution, Monin USA opened offices in Clearwater, Florida, in 1993 and a manufacturing plant there in 1996.

In the United States, sweets such as violet marshmallows are concocted from the syrup. Violets have been treasured for their flavor, fragrance, and visual appeal in the Old World since colonial times.

Common names for Viola sororia include common blue violet, purple violet, and wood violet. Native to eastern North America, this wood violet, with its edible flowers and leaves, has historical uses as food and medicine. Native Americans and early colonists sought its use in the treatment of colds, headaches, and sore throats.

My spring violets:

• Viola odorata in lavender purple and purple,
• Viola sororia bicolored purple and white

Viola flowers twinkle like colorful stars at the base of the European yews (Taxus baccata) that stand as glorious, broccoli-colored sentinels on either side of the steps that ease passage to the eastern terrace. Lavender purple and purple Viola odorata hug the awakening ground and share space in equanimity with their purple-white bicolored cousins, Viola sororia. Temperate in their distribution, they are all welcome and invited guests on the terrace and along its retaining wall.

Jonquils (Narcissus jonquilla) are often confused with their daffodil cousins. Nevertheless, their differences crowd out their similarities. Jonquils’ tube-shaped leaves are dark green.

Whereas daffodils have one blossom per stem, jonquils flower in clusters on their stems. Its shade of yellow distinguishes the jonquil. In fact, jonquil is a color name for a specific tone of yellow on the chart of over 50 shades of yellow.

Finally, an outstanding feature of Narcissus jonquilla is its fragrance, which has long been valued in perfumes.

My spring jonquils: sparkling like gold

Jonquils stake their sleek claim to the turf at the northern base of a slender Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) that graces the northern curve of the gravel driveway that unassumingly sculpts the entrance onto my yard. They almost seem to be playing a shy game of hide and seek behind the elm. Then suddenly their flowers, dancing with the gentle breeze, sparkle like gold.

Rebirth, renewal, and resurrection are all associated with springtime. Transformation from winter's landscape to spring's emergence is pleasurably obvious. These colorful early apparitions valiantly respond to their awakening calls, even though winter has not always made good on its exit.

Bluebells, hyacinths, and jonquils initially droop after an unexpected snowy dusting, but in my yard they are planted near protective companions. Sheltered by their arboreal refuges against the vagaries of the winter-to-spring interface, these harbingers of change quickly spring back to affirm the constancy of the cycle of life in the natural world.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

raceme (unbranched floral stalk) and strap-shaped foliage of Hyacinthus orientalis: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hyacinth_bloem.jpg

Jean Lang, A Book of Myths (1915), pp 132-133: Public Domain, via Project Gutenberg @ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22693/22693-h/22693-h.htm; specific Project Gutenberg image URL @ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22693/22693-page-images/p132-insert.jpg; Not in copyright, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/bookofmyths00lang/page/n172/mode/1up

private collection, Japan: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Estudio_para_la_cabeza_de_Apolo,_by_Diego_Velázquez.jpg

Galleria degli Uffizi, Firenze (Florence), northwestern Italy: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Botticelli-primavera.jpg

March 8, 2009, closeup of Hyacinthus orientalis flower: Senet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons: Senet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hyacinthusorientalis.JPG

Weston, Middlesex County, Massachusetts; Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution, Richard A. Howard Photograph Collection: Not in copyright, via USDA PLANTS Database @ https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=MUBO; specific photo URL @ https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/ImageLibrary/original/mubo_005_pvp.jpg

Oshakan, western Armenia: Raffi Kojian of Armeniapedia.org, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muscari_armeniacum.jpg

Douthat State Park, Virginia's Western Highlands: Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DO_-_Virginia_Bluebells_(4072587068).jpg; Virginia State Parks (vastateparksstaff), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vastateparksstaff/4072587068/

Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg state, southwestern Germany: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viola_reichenbachiana_002.jpg

Parma Violet candy tablets: Cheesy member at English Wikipedia, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paramaviolet.jpg

Confederate violet (Viola sororia forma priceana) has greyish-white petals and purple veins.: Hoodedwarbler12, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trip_And_Spring_005.jpg

Real Jardín Botánico, Madrid, central Spain: Cillas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Narcissus_jonquilla_3.jpg

Real Jardín Botánico, Madrid, central Spain: A. Barra, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Narcissus_jonquilla_1.jpg

Viola odorata; Sandstein-Odenwald, southwestern Germany: BerndH, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viola_odorata_200311.JPG

Canberra, southeast Australia: John O'Neill (Fir0002), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hyacinths_-_floriade_canberra.jpg

open blue flowers and pink buds of Virginia bluebells; in back yard, April 8, 2008: terren in Virginia, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/8136496@N05/2403909283/

Howard, Richard A. (Alden). "The Hillcrest Gardens, Weston, Massachusetts." Arnoldia, vol. 20, nos. 9-10 (Dec. 23, 1960): 53-67.

• Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library at: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52534881

Lang, Jean. A Book of Myths. With sixteen original drawings in colour by Helen Stratton. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1915.

• Available via via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/bookofmyths00lang/
• Available via Project Gutenberg at: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22693/22693-h/22693-h.htm#Page_129