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Botanical  Name: Muscari racemosum (MILL.)
Family: N.O. Liliaceae/ Hyacinthaceae
Synonym: Starch Hyacinth.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales
Genus: Muscari
Habitat:Native to Eurasia.

Description:
Grape hyacinths are a group of deciduous plants  that produce urn-shaped spikes of dense, most commonly blue, flowers resembling bunches of grapes in the spring. White cultivars also exist.

Grape Hyacinths are actually not Hyacinths at all.  They are members of the Lily family..   They are small plants, usually not much more than 10 inches tall, and produce blue or purple petals that are fused together and have small white tips, giving them a balloon-like or, well…..grape like appearance, and they have sort of a musky-grassy smell.  One grape hyacinth plant doesn’t look like much, but in a mass planting, these small bulbs can be a total knockout.

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The Grape Hyacinth, very much cultivated in England as a garden plant and occasionally met with in sandy soils in the eastern and southern counties, has, like the Wild Hyacinth, a poisonous bulb. The leaves are narrow and rather thick, 6 inches to a foot long, the flower-stem usually shorter, with a close, terminal raceme, or head of small, dark blue flowers, looking almost like little berries and having a sweet scent. A few of the uppermost are of a pale blue, erect, much narrower and without stamens or pistils. As the flowers of the various species of Muscari secrete much nectar, they are like the garden Scillas – to be reckoned among the useful bee plants of the spring.
The Grape Hyacinth has sometimes been called Starch Hyacinth, as the flowers have been supposed to smell of wet starch. The name of the genus, Muscari, comes from the Greek word for musk, a smell yielded by some species.

Grape Hyacinths come to life just as everything else is dying down.  Bulbs should be planted in the fall.  In established plantings, the leaves will emerge in late summer and persist through the winter, making a nice looking winter border along paths, etc.  They will tolerate very cold weather, down to at least zero, but may experience some damage in extreme weather.  They flower in early to mid-spring, and after flowering, as with most bulbs, the leaves should be left intact until they die back.   They are propagated by seed or by separating their bulb offsets, which is the more common way.

Cultivation: In early autumn, plant grape hyacinth bulbs 2 inches apart and 2 inches deep in a well- composted flower bed or pot. They prefer full sun or partial shade and a cool, moist, well-drained soil. Soak deeply after planting, and fertilize once a month after growth appears.

Taxonomy:
Classified as being in the family Hyacinthaceae, they have also been placed amongst the Liliaceae as a member of the Hyacintheae tribe. There are about forty species. These are subdivided into subgenera e.g Botryanthus.

Some species are among the earliest to bloom in the spring. They are planted as bulbs and tend to multiply quickly (naturalise) when planted in good soils. They prefer well drained sandy soil, that is acid to neutral and not too rich. May be found in woodlands or meadows, they are commonly cultivated in lawns, borders, rock gardens and containers. They require little feeding or watering in the summer, and sun or light shade.

Muscari comosum bulbs are pickled and eaten in Greece under the name ?????? ([vol'vi] lit. ‘bulbs’) and in the Basilicata and Puglia region of Italy, under the names “lampascioni”, “lampasciuni”, “lamponi”.

The Muscari have originated in the old world, from the Mediterranean basin, the Center and South of Europe, Northern Africa, the West, Center and South-West of Asia. The term muscari comes from the Latin muscus, since the scent is said to resemble musk. Muscari are non-toxic but may cause diarrhea.

No of species is about 40 including:

Muscari armeniacum
Muscari aucheri
Muscari azureum
Muscari botryoides
Muscari comosum
Muscari dionyscum
Muscari latifolium
Muscari muscarimi (=M. moschatum)
Muscari pinardis
Muscari racemosum (= M. neglectum)
Muscari tubergenianum

Species
M. aucheri is available in a number of cultivars such as ‘Blue Magic’ and ‘White Magic’

M. azureum (syn. Hyacinthus azureus, Hyacinthella azurea) is bright blue but there are light blue and white varieties.

M. latifolium has flowers varying from deep indigo at the base to pale violet at the tip.

M. tubergenianum varies from deep blue at the base to bright blue at the tip.

Medicinal Action and Uses: The American species Muscari comosum (Mill.) (Feather Hyacinth), or Purse Tassel, has been used, as well as other species of Muscari, for its diuretic and stimulant properties. Comisic acid has been extracted from the bulb, and apparently acts like Saponin.

The innumerable varieties of Garden Hyacinth are derived from an Eastern plant, Hyacinthus orientalis.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider .

Resources:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hyagra42.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscari

http://www.gardensablaze.com/Bulbs/BulbsGrapeHyacinth.htm

http://www.fresnobee.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/story/734854.html

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