Viper onion, also called muscari and mouse hyacinth, belongs to bulbous plants from the Asparagus family. There are 44 species in the genus Muscari today.
Name history
In Latin, the plant is called muscari. Indeed, this bulbous has a smell reminiscent of musk.
The plant is called mouse hyacinth for some resemblance to ordinary hyacinth, but small in comparison with it.
In England, this plant is called grape hyacinth (grape hyacinth), as it looks like a bunch of grapes upside down. The French called it earthy lilac (lilas de terre) because of its resemblance to the flowers of this shrub.
Viper bow - why is it called that? The plant was named so because of its toxicity to birds. Another version is the frequent presence of vipers nearby. Of course, snakes do not feed on this plant, but crawl to glades warmed by sunlight, where mouse hyacinth often grows. Another version of the origin of the name is the similarity of Muscari inflorescences with the tail of a rattlesnake.
Description
The viper onion flower usually grows up to 20-30 (rarely 50-60) cm tall and is a bunch (of 2-7) basalleaves up to 10-15 cm long. The leaves of the plant are quite fleshy, and the bulb is egg-shaped, up to 2 cm in size and many adnexal bulbs.
The flowers of the viper onion are blue, purple or blue, located on short pedicels and form a thick brush up to 3 cm in length. The upper flowers on the brush are barren. There are no leaves on the flowering brush. Viper onions begin to bloom from the bottom - the top flowers bloom the latest.
Muscari fruit looks like a box in the shape of a heart or a ball slightly narrowed down.
Distribution and habitat
The most common viper bow in Western Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. Some species have taken root in Australia and North America. In Russia, he prefers the southern regions of the European part of the viper bow.
Herbaceous plants for open ground can often be found on grassy slopes, in the steppe zone, in the mountain forest belt and near melting snow. Loves viper onion downed places, arable land, shrubs, rocky slopes, alpine meadows.
Views
Among the 44 plant species, the viper onion unnoticed (neglected), broad-leaved, grape-shaped, large-fruited, crested and Armenian is especially noteworthy. The latter is the most widespread and best known. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant. The Armenian viper onion has blue flowers.
Muscari broadleaf has broad, lanceolate leaves and flowers that are dark purple below and light blue above. The grape viper has white flowers.
Crested Muscari stands out from the overall picture. Its inflorescences are atypical and consist of many lilac-violet flower stalks. This plant blooms a little later than other species (May-June).
Some types of viper onions are listed in the Red Book in Russia and Ukraine.
Varieties
Armenian viper onions are best known for their Blue Spike and Heavenly Blue varieties. As the name implies, the flowers of both varieties are blue in color. The Blue Spike variety blooms 2 weeks later than other representatives of this species. Pink Sunrise features a rare pink color for a viper onion, while Fantasy Creation blooms with double flowers that change color from green to bright blue during flowering.
The most suitable for forcing Christmas Perl stood out - it received an international award. The flowers of this variety are barrel-shaped and purple-blue in color. Peppermint was also awarded with an international award - it is notable for its pale blue flowers and especially long flowering (about a month).
The most fragrant variety of the Armenian viper onion is "Artist" - blue flowers with a white border. Unblown inflorescences resemble green grape clusters.
Of grape varieties of muscari, Album is the most popular - its white inflorescences have an elongated shape and a special aroma. The bushes of this plant reach 15 cm and resemble lilies of the valley.
Golden Fragrance (large-fruited muscari) features purple buds and yellow flowers withbrown border. This variety is suitable only for greenhouses or open ground in the southern regions.
Muscári negléctum (viper onion unnoticed or neglected) is listed in many Red Books of the subjects of the Russian Federation. You can see it on the territory of the Kabardino-Balkarian alpine reserve.
Garden breeding
Many gardeners love the mouse hyacinth as an ornamental plant. It is unpretentious and can grow in any part of the garden. The main thing is not to plant it under evergreen trees or shrubs, as viper onions do not like shade. Muscari will feel great under fruit trees - it blooms in spring, when there is still no dense greenery.
In gardens, viper onions are planted along paths, in dense group plantings, rockeries, flower pots, balcony boxes, flower plantings are compacted with them.
It is better to plant this plant in large groups - this way it will look much more spectacular.
Viper onions, the photo of which you see in the article, can be planted using the "sandwich" method - the bulbs are planted in floors. The rows must be done in a checkerboard pattern so that the individual layers do not interfere with each other's growth. The flowering of plants planted in this way can be sequential or simultaneous.
Agrotechnology
Agriculturally, mouse hyacinth is very easy to breed. It is planted in several ways: either by daughter bulbs, or by seeds in fruits, or by divided bulbous nests.
BasicMuscari reproduction option in nature is vegetative. There are many adventitious bulbs in a plant, so sometimes it grows over a fairly large area.
Another natural way to spread viper onions is myrmecochory. Ants are attracted to elaiosomes, fat-containing appendages of seeds. Insects eat only these appendages, leaving the seeds themselves intact.
Mouse hyacinth bulbs have a thin shell, so they can not be stored for a long time to avoid drying out. It is optimal to plant the bulbs in September at a depth of eight to ten centimeters.
The soil should be chosen loamy and loose - viper onions do not like clay and peat. The soil should be well drained and not too wet. A plant needs moisture only at the beginning of growth, after flowering it needs a rest, during which moisture is harmful, as it can lead to rotting of the bulbs.
Viper onion is a perennial plant, so they will delight with their flowering every spring. Fertilizer should be started in the second year after planting Muscari. Do this all the time until the leaves begin to dry. About 2 weeks after the end of flowering, watering should be stopped completely. In the spring, it is necessary to add compost to the soil - the mouse hyacinth will grow and bloom better.
For successful re-blooming, do not remove early withered leaves - they contain nutrients that the plant bulb needs.
In the first year of planting, the plant should be covered if the winter in the region is severe enough.
Landscape design
Properly seated in terms of design, the viper bow creates a beautiful picture. A vivid example of this is the Keukenhof Park (Holland), where white and blue plants create entire rivers. This landscape has inspired more than one artist to paint a landscape.
In landscape design, Muscari is best planted in groups of about ten to thirty pieces. Often this plant is used to create all kinds of flower arrangements. The cut is often used to create bouquets and boutonnieres.
