Do Roses and Hyacinths Work Well Together?

Hyacinth

• Hyacinth bulbs produce scented flowers that bloom around the same time as tulips, on plants less than 8 inches tall. Grape hyacinths bloom in the spring on 4- to 8-inch-tall plants. Both of these types of hyacinth grow in sun or in shade. Place them at the front of your rose bed, or plant them throughout the bed to provide color before your roses develop foliage and flowers. Pair these hyacinths with spring-blooming European roses for a display that includes blooms of both types present at the same time.

Hyacinth Bean

• Hyacinth bean is an annual climbing vine. You can train the fast-growing plants over an archway or onto a trellis near your rose bed or place them alongside climbing roses, rambling roses and shrub roses. Hyacinth bean vines can cover a newly installed support until your roses grow to sufficient size to cover it themselves. Purple-leafed and green-leafed options are available. For foliage interest, pair the reddish foliage of China roses with purple-leafed hyacinth bean. Hyacinth bean plants prefer full sun, flower from mid-summer into the fall, and develop edible, decorative bean pods.

Care

• Roses require half a day or more of full sun exposure; however, the North Dakota State University Extension suggests afternoon shade for roses. Use hyacinth bean to the west or northwest of your roses to provide afternoon shade, or place them between your roses and nearby walls if there is a chance of your roses experiencing sunburn due to reflected heat. Hyacinth bean plants also fix nitrogen in the soil, rendering the nutrient available for use by roses.

Considerations

• Grape hyacinths comes in purple, blue, white and blue-and-white-mixed colors. Garden hyacinth flowers offer a wider range of color options, including yellow, pink and red in addition to the colors of grape hyacinths. Roses come in a multitude of colors, making it easy to match or compliment their colors with those of hyacinths. As garden hyacinths have foliage that must be left intact to feed the bulbs for next season's growth, they may be unattractive after blooming unless hidden by rose foliage.