The deep blue bells of wild hyacinth are a dramatic contrast to the dark red soil surrounding them. They are the wild variety of the well known decorative double hyacinths and like them are highly fragrant. It is almost certainly an introduced species which has naturalised.

H. orientalis is native to S.E. Asia and was found in gardens of Turkey in the mid-sixteenth century from where it was introduced to the gardens of Western Europe.The first hyacinth hybrids appeared in the 1680s and they became increasingly popular and by the early 18th century the most prized bulbs would attract prices of hundreds of guilders in the Netherlands but they did not become subject to the massive inflation of tulips.1

It may be considered that this flower with the epithet of Hyacinthos is  the flower referred to in the mythological Hyakinthos, however as it did not exist in ancient Greece it is more likely that the flower involved was Gladiolus segetum.

For the story of  Hyacinthos go to Gladiolus segetum.........