Delicate Muscari flowers are one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring. While these dainty flowers are usually a purple-blue color, there are some special types available. One of the best specialty types is Muscari Pink Sunrise, which blooms in a pale pink hue.
Muscari ‘Pink Sunrise’ is a specialty cultivar known for its soft pink flower color. These long-lived perennial flowers grow from bulbs and are one of the first flowers to bloom each year in the spring. Pink clusters of bell-shaped flowers grow about 6″-8″ high, accompanied by thin, grass-like green foliage.
Read on to learn all about Muscari Pink Sunrise!
Muscari Pink Sunrise basics
Muscari ‘Pink Sunrise’, also called Pink Sunrise grape hyacinth, is a herbaceous flowering perennial plant. This modern cultivar was bred to have a unique pink color (unlike the purple-blue of most types). Pink Sunrise Muscari are wonderful flowers to plant in flower border gardens, rock gardens, or naturalize on the lawn.
Pink Sunrise Muscari plants are hardy in Zones 3-8. While this is a modern cultivar, wild Muscari plants are native to areas around the Mediterranean, including Europe, southwest Asia, and North Africa.
Muscari plants grow from bulbs, which are each about 1″ wide at the widest part of the bulb. Muscari bulbs grow at a medium rate, eventually multiplying freely underground where they can become naturalized over a wide area. Muscari is often planted in lawns, as the narrow foliage blends in nicely with turf grass in the spring.
Pink Sunrise Muscari flowers are tiny bell-shaped blooms clustered together at the top of a flower stem. Flower clusters are somewhat conical and are usually 1″-2″ tall. The flower clusters of Muscari do look quite a bit like tiny clusters of grapes and are sometimes called Grape Hyacinth (although Muscari is not a true type of Hyacinth).
Buying Muscari Pink Sunrise plants
Muscari Pink Sunrise plants are most often sold as bulbs, but specialty nurseries may have them potted up in early spring. While Muscari bulbs can be ordered year-round, they generally wait to ship until planting time in early fall. Starter plants may be available in the spring at specialty flower nurseries.
Planting Pink Sunrise Muscari
Muscari plants, including Pink Sunrise, are easy to plant. Muscari Pink Sunrise is most commonly planted from bulbs in the fall but can also be planted from starter plants in the springtime.
Pink Sunrise Muscari flowers bloom best when planted in a full-sun location. These plants are not too fussy, however, and can also be planted in partial sun or even in partial shade. They may not produce as many flowers in partial shade as they would when planted in full sun.
Muscari bulbs grow best in well-drained soil rich in organic matter. That said, these are not fussy plants and can also grow in clay soil or in overly sandy soil.
To plant a Muscari ‘Pink Sunrise” bulb, dig a 3″ deep hole. Place the bulb in the hole and backfill gently with the same soil that came out of the hole. Since these bulbs are typically about an inch tall, there should be 2″ of soil on top of the bulb after planting.
Muscari ‘Pink Sunrise” bulbs can be planted 2″-3″ apart for dense blooms the following spring. The bulbs can also be spaced out at a larger distance between bulbs to cover a wider area (and eventually allowed to multiply on their own and naturalize).
Give the planting area a deep, thorough watering after planting the bulbs.
Caring for Muscari ‘Pink Sunrise’
Muscari Pink Sunrise plants are easy to care for once established. Give them lots of water in the months after planting. They can also be watered in early spring if conditions are dry. Once the bulbs have been in place for several years, they do not need additional watering in many climates.
Most Muscari plants do not require routine applications of fertilizer. These are low-maintenance plants, but they may benefit from a thin top-dressing of compost in the fall or early spring.
