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{{Taxobox
| color = lavender
| name = ''Hyacinthus''
| image = Hyacinthus_orientalis0.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = ''Hyacinthus orientalis'' natural type
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
| familia = [[Hyacinthaceae]]
| genus = '''''Hyacinthus'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = species
| subdivision =
''[[Hyacinthus litwinowii]]''<br/>
''[[Hyacinthus orientalis]]''<br/>
''[[Hyacinthus transcaspicus]]''
}}

A '''Hyacinth''' is any plant of genus '''''Hyacinthus''''', which are bulbous [[herb]]s formerly placed in the lily family [[Liliaceae]] but now regarded as the type genus of the separate family [[Hyacinthaceae]]. Hyacinths are native to the eastern [[Mediterranean]] region east to [[Iran]] and [[Turkmenistan]]. They are named after the [[Hyacinth (mythology)|Hyacinth]] from [[Greek mythology]]. Hyacinths are sometimes associated with rebirth. The Hyacinth flower is used in the [[Haft_sin_table|Haftseen]] table setting for the [[Persian]] New Year celebration [[Norouz]] held during the [[Spring Equinox]].

Only three species are currently recognised within the genus ''Hyacinthus''. They are:
*''[[Hyacinthus litwinowii]]''
*''[[Hyacinthus orientalis]]'' - Common, Dutch or Garden Hyacinth
*''[[Hyacinthus transcaspicus]]''

Some authorities place ''H. litwonowii'' and ''H. transcaspicus'' in the related genus ''[[Hyacinthella]]'', leaving ''Hyacinthus'' as [[monotypic]].

The Dutch, or Common Hyacinth of house and [[garden]] culture (''H. orientalis'', native to southwest Asia) was so popular in the [[18th century]] that over 2,000 [[cultivar]]s were cultivated in the [[Netherlands]], its chief commercial producer. This hyacinth has a single dense spike of fragrant [[flower]]s in shades of red, blue, white, or yellow. A form of the common hyacinth is the less hardy and smaller blue- or white-petalled Roman hyacinth of florists. These flowers should have indirect sunlight and are to be moderately watered.

The related grape hyacinths (''[[Muscari]]''), sometimes called baby's-breath, are very low, mostly blue-flowered plants similar in appearance to hyacinths and are also commonly cultivated.

Several types of [[brodiea]], [[deathcamas]], [[squill]], and other plants that were formerly classified in the [[lily]] family and have flower clusters borne along the [[stalk]] also have common names with hyacinth in them.

{|align=left
|[[Image:Hyacinths - floriade canberra.jpg|thumb|Hyacinths in the Floriade, Canberra]]
|-
|[[Image:Floriade canberra02.jpg|thumb|Hyacinths in the Floriade, Canberra]]
|}

{{Commons|Hyacinthus orientalis}}

[[Category:Hyacinthaceae]]
[[Category:Flora of Central Asia]]
[[Category:Garden plants]]
[[Category:Flowers]]

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