Crocus Plants for Fall and Spring
Fall Bulbs or Spring Bulbs for Bulb Flowers in Two Seasons
Nov 1, 2009
No other bulb allows gardeners the chance to revel in the blooms both spring and autumn. Often the crocus plants that gardeners are most familiar with are spring flowering bulbs, while experienced gardeners will tell you, there are fall crocus flowers available as well!
Spring Flowering Bulbs – Crocus Blooms
There are several varieties of crocuses that will bloom in the spring, and these are the most readily available bulk bulbs available at discount prices each fall. Many discount bulb stores offer large, inexpensive packs of these crocus bulbs for fall planting.
- Crocus chrysanthus – Several named cultivars are available in wide variety of colors. For example, 'Goldilocks' is a bright yellow flower. 'Prins Claus' is a gorgeous bicolor crocus plant with white and purple.
- Crocus tommasinianus – Most of these crocus bulbs are purple or rose in hue. 'Ruby Giant' is a popular purple crocus plant with large, spring flowers.
- Crocus vernus – The large-flowering Dutch bulbs that are the most familiar crocus plant to spring bulb gardeners. 'Jeanne D'Arc' is a pure white crocus with large flowers. 'Pickwick' is a favorite lavender with white stripes through the petals. Other crocus bulbs are purple, yellow or bicolored as well.
Fall Flowering Bulbs – Crocus Flowers
Autumn blooming crocus plants are still planted in the fall. The crocuses will sprout leaves in the spring, but the flowers will not usually appear until months later. Sometimes these bare blooms are called “naked ladies” in common name because the crocus flowers don't have foliage surrounding them.
- Crocus pulchellus – Fragrant, fall flowers that are purple with yellow middles. These crocus blooms appear from the bare ground with no foliage!
- Crocus medius – These crocuses bloom later than C. pulchellus, but are vibrantly colored and add a showy appearance to the end of fall during a time when other perennial flowers are fading away.
- Crocus sativus – These fall blooming crocuses are the source of the spice and herbal medicine known as saffron. The orange-red stigmas were also used historically as a cloth dye. Typical crocus foliage appears with the blooms. This fall flowering crocus naturalizes easily and should be divided every three or four years.
Gardeners can enjoy planting both fall blooming crocus bulbs and spring blooming crocus bulbs in the same bulb garden area. This prevents accidentally digging up the fall crocus plants if their location is forgotten! Use these colorful bulbs to dress up a perennial garden that is otherwise heavy on summer color but needs some pizazz in spring and autumn.
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