Wild hyacinth
Camassia scilloides
Last reviewed: August 2026
Wild hyacinth produces spikes of pale blue to white star-shaped flowers in April and May. It grows in part sun with medium moisture, often found in prairies, glades, and open woodland edges.
Toxicity unknown
Wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
part sun
Water
medium
Size
12"–24" H × 6"–12" W
Bloom
Apr, May
Native to
AL, AR, GA, IA and 18 more states
Pollinators
mining bees, bumble bees, butterflies
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A spring bulb sending up a loose spike of pale blue star flowers above narrow grasslike leaves. Foliage goes dormant by midsummer, so it pairs well with later-emerging perennials that fill the gap.
Growing Wild hyacinth
Grow Wild hyacinth in part sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 12 to 24 inches tall and spread 6 to 12 inches wide.
Wildlife value
Blooms in the lean early-spring window, feeding mining bees and emerging bumble bee queens.
Common questions
- When does wild hyacinth bloom?
- Wild hyacinth blooms in April and May, sending up leafless stalks topped with clusters of star-shaped flowers.
- What pollinates wild hyacinth?
- Mining bees, bumble bees, and butterflies visit wild hyacinth flowers for nectar and pollen.
- What growing conditions does wild hyacinth prefer?
- It does best with part sun and medium soil moisture, though it can tolerate drier conditions once its spring growth has finished.
- Does wild hyacinth keep its leaves all year?
- No. Wild hyacinth is deciduous, and its narrow, grass-like leaves die back to the ground as the plant goes dormant by early summer.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Wild hyacinth? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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