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Muscari azureum

Azure Grape-hyacinth

Family AsparagaceaeGenus Muscari

A dense cone of small pale blue bell-shaped flowers on a short stem, among low leaves on bare soil
FlowerPatrick HackerCC BY 4.0
A plate of two bulbs drawn whole with their roots, each sending up strap leaves and a dense spike of pale blue bell flowers, with dissections at the side.
IllustrationJoseph Dalton HookerPublic domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
bulbous geophytePlants of the World Online
Flower
Lavender-blueRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
TürkiyeGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Azureum means "bright blue", for the flowers of this grape hyacinth from Turkey. The botanist Brian Mathew calls it "a delightful plant" for rock gardens or under shrubs. Wikipedia: Muscari azureum

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

Germination happens during step 1, in 56 days.

100% germination in 14–56 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Pseudomuscari p. 56Public domain
Show the original text
Pseudomuscari (Liliaceae). P. azureum germ. 40(100% in 2-8 w) and 70D- 40(6/9 in 11th w)-70D(1/9 ori 3rd d)-40(2/9 in 7tli w). Light had no effect. Seeds DS 1 y gave similar results and seeds of P. azureum album also gave similar results. Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(7/8 in 6-10 w) and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Pseudomuscari p. 56. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 26, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on January 25, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 730 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

about 2 years from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 70 days.

88% germination in 42–70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Pseudomuscari p. 56Public domain
Show the original text
Pseudomuscari (Liliaceae). P. azureum germ. 40(100% in 2-8 w) and 70D- 40(6/9 in 11th w)-70D(1/9 ori 3rd d)-40(2/9 in 7tli w). Light had no effect. Seeds DS 1 y gave similar results and seeds of P. azureum album also gave similar results. Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(7/8 in 6-10 w) and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Pseudomuscari p. 56. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 21, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 20, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    1/9 germinated in this phase.

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

    2/9 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 77 days.

67% germination in 77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Pseudomuscari p. 56Public domain
Show the original text
Pseudomuscari (Liliaceae). P. azureum germ. 40(100% in 2-8 w) and 70D- 40(6/9 in 11th w)-70D(1/9 ori 3rd d)-40(2/9 in 7tli w). Light had no effect. Seeds DS 1 y gave similar results and seeds of P. azureum album also gave similar results. Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(7/8 in 6-10 w) and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Pseudomuscari p. 56. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around July 16, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on July 15, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    10 germinated in this phase.

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

    3 germinated in this phase.

  5. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    3 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

about 6 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 84 days.

67% germination in 63–84 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Hyacinthella p. 39Public domain
Show the original text
Hyacinthella (Liliaceae). H. azurea DS 6 m germ. 40(67% in 9-12 w)- 70D(10% on 2nd d)-40(3%)-70D(3%), and 70D-40{70% in 7-11 w)-70D(8% on 3rd d)- 40(10% in 6-8 w)-70D(4% on 2nd d). Light had no effect. Germination feil to under 5% if treated with GA-3.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Hyacinthella p. 39. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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