Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) is a tried-and-true mainstay of the early spring garden, producing spikes of deep-blue flowers that are often accented with white markings around the petticoat or base of the individual flowers. This is the plant the Dutch use in their gardens to create rivers of blue in their landscape designs. Despite the tendency for the foliage to come into growth in fall, this plant is reliably hardy in the Chicago region. The bulbs slowly create clumps by producing "daughter" or side bulbs from the original stock, and the massed effect of all of the flowers produced by one clump after three or more years is stunning.

This is another of the early spring bulbs ideally adapted for use underneath deciduous trees in the Chicago area, because the bulbs complete their need to create carbohydrates for next year's bloom before the trees leaf out.

Rabbits nibble the foliage, but voles avoid the bulbs.