Greenly Garden

When to plant hyacinths in Canberra: by 30 April

In Canberra, hyacinth: plant by 30 April. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit. For planting stock, the places nearby include Heritage Nursery Yarralumla (garden centre, 4 km) and Bruceworks Landscape Centre (garden centre, 6 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Hyacinth in Canberra: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in July, average 2.2 °C.

Plantingby 30 April
First autumn frost30 May
Coldest nightsJuly, 2.2 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in springalready in the first week of July
Daylight10:43 on 30 April
Daylight at the winter solstice9:46

The same dates in Canberra hold for Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil and Crocus.

Hyacinth in Canberra: depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant hyacinths 10 cm deep, at least 7.5 cm apart (RHS).

In Canberra the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 18 weeks a year (our estimate from ten years of monthly weather). For this bulb Wisconsin Horticulture Extension gives a cold period of 12–15 weeks at about 2–10 °C. The winter here gives that in the ground, so the bulbs need no pre-chilling.

Flowers get smaller in the years after planting: for full spikes, replace the bulbs or add a few new ones each autumn (RHS).

If squirrels are a problem, protect the bulbs with wire mesh (RHS). Hyacinths are toxic to dogs, cats and horses: intense vomiting and diarrhoea (ASPCA).

Sources: RHS, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, ASPCA.

Hyacinth in nearby cities

All the nearest cities on our list plant hyacinth later than Canberra; the closest date is in Orange, 14 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Albury218 kmby 21 May21 days later
Orange222 kmby 14 May14 days later
Dubbo339 kmby 20 May20 days later
Melbourne467 kmby 26 May26 days later
Ballarat537 kmby 20 May20 days later
Devonport699 kmby 27 May27 days later

Where to buy hyacinth for planting in Canberra

Planting stock goes into the ground by 30 April; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Canberra OpenStreetMap lists 12 garden centres, 2 plant nurseries and 2 markets (collected 7 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant hyacinths in Canberra?

In Canberra, hyacinth: plant by 30 April. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit.

When is the last spring frost in Canberra?

Last spring frost around 18 September, first autumn frost around 30 May.

Other crops in Canberra, with their dates