#Autumn crocus how to
#Autumn crocus full

Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses, toxic to humans.Wear gloves and wash hands after handling. All parts are highly toxic by ingestion.Propagate by seed, sowing in containers in an open frame when ripe or separate corms when dormant in summer.apart (7 cm) in late summer for bloom the same year in fall. Stunning in front of shrubs, among low-growing perennials, woodlands, meadows, around patios or along walkways. Browse 444 autumn crocus photos and images available, or search for colchicum or oleander to find more great photos and pictures.

#Autumn crocus full

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun or part shade.

Growing up to 10-12 inches tall and wide (25-30 cm), this Colchicum naturalizes easily and will come back year after year!.

Ridiculously easy to grow, all parts of this plant are poisonous, therefore it is diligently ignored by hungry deer, rabbits, and other critters. Resembling crocuses, this Colchicum produces its large, broad leaves, way later, in spring. True Crocuses include the popular spring-blooming varieties that mark winter’s end, fall-blooming species, and the Saffron. This perennial makes a truly unique display in the fall garden. When it comes to bulbs, the name crocus is often used to describe two unrelated plants: Colchicum, often called by the common name autumn crocus, is a Lily relative, while true Crocuses belong to the Iris family. Appearing long before the leaves, the flowers often have deeper tips to the petals.

#Autumn crocus how to

Now that you know how to grow saffron plants, you can give this spice a try in your herb garden.One of the tallest and most free-flowering of the Colchicums, The Giant' is a fall-blooming Colchicum which bears up to 10 funnel-shaped, extra-large, lavender-pink flowers with a delicate white throat. Growing saffron crocus is easy and certainly makes the expensive spice much more affordable. You can also water them if the rainfall in your area falls below 1.5 inches (4 cm.) per week. You can fertilize them once a year, though they grow fine without being fertilized as well. They will be hardy down to -15 degrees F. Also keep in mind that saffron crocus multiply rapidly, so in a few years’ time you will have more than enough.Īfter your saffron crocus bulbs are planted, they need very little care. About 50 to 60 saffron flowers will produce about 1 tablespoon (15 ml.) of saffron spice, so keep this in mind when figuring how many to plant. Their cup-like blossoms are pink or purple, often with a white center. When you plant your saffron crocus bulbs, place them in the ground at about 3 to 5 inches (8-13 cm.) deep and at least 6 inches (15 cm.) apart. While they may resemble those familiar spring-blooming members of the iris family, Colchicum is a separate genus in the Colchicaceae family that grows from bulb-like corms. Other than needing good soil and sun, saffron crocus is not picky. If saffron crocus is planted in swampy or poor draining soil, it will rot. Saffron plants need well-draining soil and lots of sun. Plant them as soon as possible after receiving them. Instead, you’ll see foliage in the spring, which will die back, and saffron flowers the following fall. As they are fall blooming crocuses, you will plant them in the fall, but they will probably not bloom the year you plant them.

Once you have purchased the saffron crocus bulbs, you can plant them in your yard. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find them at a chain store or big box store. Most people turn to a reputable online nursery to purchase them, though you may find them for sale at a small local nursery or catalog. When growing saffron, first find a place to purchase the saffron crocus bulbs. Each flower will only produce three stigmas and each saffron crocus bulb will only produce one flower. The spice is actually the red stigmas of this crocus flower. Saffron comes from the saffron crocus bulb ( Crocus sativus), which is an autumn blooming crocus. Keep reading to learn how to grow saffron. It’s so expensive that you may wonder “Can I grow saffron crocus bulbs and harvest my own saffron?” The answer is yes you can grow saffron in your home garden. Saffron has often been described as a spice that is worth more than its weight in gold.