Tuesday, 17 March 2026

Flower Folklore: Hyacinths and a Tragic Love Story

Hyacinths always bloom in my garden just after the first daffodils and before the bluebells come out. I took this photo yesterday and was reminded of the tragic love story associated with this beautiful flower.

In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus, prince of Sparta, was Apollo's  boyfriend. They were devoted to each other and spent all their time together, sharing enjoyment of music, divination, and sports - all things Apollo excelled at, of course. It was the latter that caused the tragedy.  

Hyacinthus went to catch a discus Apollo had thrown in a friendly contest, but it bounced up and killed the mortal. Apollo was devastated as his lover died in his arm. He tried everything to restore him to life, but all he could do was create a beautiful flower from Hyacinthus' blood.

However, I should probably also say that the flower we currently call hyacinth is probably different from the one mentioned in the mythological story, as that was purple and described as having a symbol of sorrow on the petals. It might instead have been larkspur, delphinium or even a type of gladiolus. 

Magical uses include love spells and anything to do with LGBTQ+ relationship, as well as for help overcoming grief and loss. In aromatherapy, hyacinth oil is sometimes used to help with stress, depression and tiredness. It can also aid deep sleep.

Warning: Don't eat any of the plant as it is toxic.

Some other spring flowers are also associated with tragedy in mythological tales, including daffodils, which I wrote about last month.

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