Bellevalia paradoxa

BLACK GRAPE HYACINTH

Bellevalia paradoxa
BLACK GRAPE HYACINTH

Bellevalia paradoxa is an unusual cousin of the common Grape Hyacinth. But much more special.
With black-blue bells, flushed green inside, creating striking pools of colour in spring.
Otherwise it is as hardy, trouble free, and easy to grow as it’s cousins. But drop dead gorgeous.

Fortunately Bellevalia, the Black Grape Hyacinth, does not have over-enthusiastic invasive tendencies like it’s common blue cousins.
Instead it is a polite little creature, treasured for such intense black-blue colour.
With the dark bells closely stacked up the flower stems.
And each bulb produces several flower stems, as well as offshoot babies each year.

Super easy & unfussy

Super easy to grow in either Sun or Shade, as long as the soil is well drained. Otherwise it is not fussy.
Bellevalia paradoxa is very frost and dry hardy, as well as water-wise.
Because it is native to areas with hot, dry summers and cold winters, including Italy, Greece and the Middle East.

Hardy bulb, summer dormant.

30cm High flower stems x 20cm Wide foliage clump.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: Bellevalia paradoxa need cold

Raising Bellevalia from seed is easy, but you need to reserve a little space for them in the fridge.

INDOORS: Sow seed in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then gently press the seeds onto the surface of the mix, to ensure good contact.

Now barely cover seed with sieved mix, or fine grit, or vermiculite, or washed sand.

Then place the sown punnet into a water bath (make sure the water level in the bath is below the surface of the mix).
So the moisture percolates up through the mix from the bottom to thoroughly moisten the mix throughout.
Soak for a short time until moisture appears on the surface of the mix, and then remove and drain.
Because the mix needs to be moist throughout, but not wet.

Now cling wrap the punnet and place in the fridge (not freezer) for 3 months.

After 3 months, remove punnet from fridge, unwrap, moisten again.
Now place the moist punnet in a cool, well-lit position (not in direct sun).

Adding a clear plastic cover helps to retain moisture in the punnet.

And continue to keep the punnet moist by spraying the surface of the mix a fine spray water bottle, or re-soaking in the water bath, as required.
(If the punnet is light weight when you pick it up – the mix is drying out and needs another soak from below in the water bath).

Seedlings emerge in approx. 20-30 days.

SEED COUNT: 8 seeds per pack approx. (We only have a few seeds this year of this unusual Bellevalia)

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