28th April: Hyacinth

The French Revolutionary Calendar celebrates hyacinths on this date. Here are some hyacinth facts for you.

1. The word hyacinth comes from the Greek Hyakinthos, a handsome young man who was loved by the sun god Apollo. One day they were practising throwing the discus but the jealous god of the West Wind, who was also in love with Hyakinthos, blew the discus back and it fatally wounded him. From his blood grew a flower which the god Apollo named after him.
2. Native to the eastern Mediterranean, hyacinths were brought to Western Europe in the 16th century and first cultivated in Austria in the 1500's.
3. During the 17th and 18th centuries, only very rich flower collectors could afford to grow them. Because of the hyacinth's pervasive perfume, the bulbs were exorbitantly expensive.
4. Hyacinths are often associated with spring and rebirth. They also represent constancy.
5. The meaning also varies according to the colour. Blue means Peace and Serenity, Orange means Satisfaction and Passion, Pink means Sensitivity and Love, Purple means Elegance and Pride, Red means Courage, Desire and Love, White means Purity and Innocence, and Yellow means Happiness and Friendship.
6. The French word for hyacinth is jacinthe, and in Spanish, jacinto. The Farsi word is sonbol.
7. Grape hyacinths are not hyacinths at all, but belong to the lily family.
8. Water Hyacinths are the only large aquatic plants that float on water. They float on water using the bubbles trapped by their roots and air spaces in the leaf stalks.
9. If you want to grow them, choose a spot with loamy soil and full sun exposure.
10. The cut flowers are often sold with roots still attached to make the flowers last longer. Don't cut these off, just give the stems a good rinse.