Hyacinth with floppy leaves

Question

My hyacinth has floppy leaves now; I bought it blooming, but the bloom has died back, which I understand is normal. However, the leaves have gone entirely floppy and drooping, no structure to them. What is it missing? I moved it to a regular pot with soil (it came in a fancy glass) and put it outside in the hopes it needed sun or nutrients, but more expert advice would be appreciated.

Answer 1

A hyacinth follows the life cycle of all bulbs. The bloom is formed based on last year’s nutrients stored in the bulb. The leaves have the task of collecting the energy for next year via photosynthesis, then the plant retracts everything into the bulb, drops the leaves and goes dormant until the next year.

If your hyacinth is done flowering, it won’t be long until the leaves are gone as well. And floppy leaves are normal in that cycle. If your plant was indoors, possibly in low light, the warmth will have contributed to exceptionally long and soft leaves, in an attempt to get as much surface for photosynthesis as possible. Note that hyacinths are sold as decorative spring bulbs, but are no houseplants - often as “disposables”. They will be way happier outdoors in the ground in temperate climate.