Why are we so excited about hyacinths for Christmas? On the one hand, they are easy to drive up, at the same time they are very grateful to look after and thrive relatively well. Here we have collected facts about one of our beloved Christmas flowers, the hyacinth.
Did you know that the hyacinth is said to have been named after the Greek hero Hyakintos. He attracted the love of both the god Apollo and the west wind Zephyros. In the drama of jealousy that ensues, Zephyros blows on Apollo's discus which hits Hyakintos so miserably that he dies. Apollo then created the hyacinth from Hyacinth's blood.
Actually, the hyacinth is a perennial - perennial - spring flower that brightens the flowerbed with its colorful splendor early in the year, but for us Swedes, the hyacinth is more popular as a Christmas flower. They come in a variety of colors and all smell differently, nowadays most have a scent code on the pot or label.
The hyacinth is one of our most popular Christmas flowers and it is sold between 10 and 11 million during the month of December.
The hyacinth came to Sweden in the 17th century and has its origins in the area near Turkey and Syria.
In Sweden, we rarely grow our own onions, they are bought in from Holland. The hyacinths grown here are grown from imported bulbs.
In the language of flowers, the hyacinth means awakening, budding and dawning love.
The hyacinth is poisonous if one were to eat it in large quantities, which is because it contains alkaloids. If a child were to ingest hyacinth, you should contact the Poisons Information Center on 010-456 6700 for advice. Even our four-legged friends can react if they chew on the onions themselves, place hyacinths and other Christmas flowers out of their reach. Contact your veterinarian if you suspect that your pet has ingested a poisonous plant.