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Few "bulbs" are as familiar yet as little known as the
spring
crocuses. Hybrids of C. vernus (Dutch
crocus) and C. chrysanthus (snow crocus) have long
been garden mainstays. But the spring crocuses have far more to offer
than these. For
mass planting and naturalizing, species such as C.
angustifolius, C. etruscus , C. korolkowii, C. x luteus , and C. tommasinianus equal or
surpass the common garden hybrids. And few genera of early-blooming
plants present such a wealth of possibilities for the rock garden and
other smaller garden niches. Give them well-drained soil and a
reasonable amount of sunlight, and they will reward you with years of
beauty. Their only significant drawback is that squirrels and a few other varmints
consider their corms a delicacy. Deeply planted corms (5 or 6 inches) often escape herbivory. If even deep-seated corms are plundered, consider using C. tommasinianus (in our experience the most pest-resistant species) or providing some protection (we suggest a few possibilities in the cultural instructions that accompany each shipment, and would be happy to
discuss others by phone). |
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 Crocus etruscus
'Rosalind' ~ In contrast to the brash hues of many spring
crocuses, this sport of ‘Zwanenburg’ is adorned in subdued tones of
pearly lavender, with hints of pink. February/March bloom.
Mediterranean; W Italy. Zone 6.
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1/$1 |
 Crocus etruscus 'Zwanenburg'
~ Pale blue-lilac flowers – "appearing a stronger, almost pure blue en
masse" (Bryan) – make the perfect complement to C.
tommasinianus 'Roseus'. Larger and more vigorous than the type.
February/March bloom. Zone 6.
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1/$1 |
 Crocus fleischeri ~ Delicate in
appearance but rugged in constitution, this engaging little pixie
produces white, narrow-petaled flowers, their bases pleasingly blotched
with purple, in late winter and early spring. They open starrily to reveal
orange-red stigmas. Remarkably hardy, if given good drainage. We're glad to have some to offer again, having lost our entire stock to squirrels a couple years ago.
Mediterranean/steppe; W & S Turkey. Zone 5/6.
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1/$5 |
 Crocus gargaricus
ssp. herbertii ~ No genus does yellow better than Crocus. In this exemplary case it
refulgently verges on orange. Remarkable also for its stoloniferous
habit and its love of summer moisture, this makes an ideal candidate
for the sunny peat bed. Modified continental/Montane; NW Turkey. Zone 5.
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1/$5 |
| Crocus x jessoppiae
~ Originating in the garden of E.A. Bowles' neighbor, this diminutive
hybrid (perhaps involving C. reticulatus) throws numerous white,
blue-tinged flowers late in the season (March/April). A valuable,
durable (not to mention cute) ornamental, ideal for the rock garden.
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1/$6 |
 Crocus korolkowii ~ Here's a chance to buy seed-grown corms of one of the earliest and showiest crocuses, whose luminous flowers of a glossy polished orange-yellow caught the eye of the Russian General Korolkow more than 125 years ago as he galumphed across the steppe somewhere in Uzbekistan. These beauties will show some variation in the amount of bronze stippling. Steppe. Zone
3/4.
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1/$1 |
 Crocus korolkowii 'Golden Nugget' ~ When the rather somber heavily bronze-stippled outer segments open to reveal the gleaming golden yellow inner ones, it's like the arrival of spring in miniature. In late winter, no less. Zone 3/4.
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1/$2 |
 Crocus korolkowii
'Lucky Number' ~ Our earliest blooming crocus, this winning number brings you a late-winter
jackpot of glossy golden flowers with maroon-brown throats. Very hardy and very hard to find. Steppe. Zone 3/4.
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1/$2 |
 Crocus korolkowii
'Spring Cocktail' ~ What could be more intoxicating than the sight of this radiant beauty on a bright late winter morning, folding back its bronze-stippled outer segments to reveal the shining golden-yellow ones within? We're so intoxicated at the thought that our prose just went distinctly purple. Steppe. Zone 3/4.
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1/$2 |
 Crocus kosaninii
~
A recently described and highly ornamental species from that Crocus
hotbed, the Balkans. Bright lilac-blue, with dark violet feathering and
yellow throat. Late-blooming: March/April. Modified continental;
Kosovo. Zone 5.
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1/$4 |
 Crocus malyi ~ Crocus guru Brian Mathew praises this March-blooming Balkan species, bearing large, white,
yellow-centered flowers with undertones of rose. Yellow anthers and
orange stigmas add to the show. Vigorous and self-sowing, with
remarkable hardiness for a coastal Mediterranean species. Deserves much
wider use. W Croatia. Zone 5/6. AGM
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1/$2 |
 Crocus reticulatus VV.YYY.306
~ Here is a species that has been turning quite a few heads lately
thanks to newly introduced clones such as this one, whose flowers
(borne in late winter and early spring) are brilliant lilac-blue inside and
hazy creamy-blue with deep purple stripes outside. If only our syntax
were as scintillating. Modified continental/montane; Caucasus. Zone 6.
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1/$12 |
Crocus sieberi ssp. atticus 'Amfiklia'
(CH.855) ~ The large, elegantly rounded flowers of this splendid, floriferous, recently selected cultivar are pale lilac with orange-yellow throats and purple-gray veining. This is our favorite form of this variable but always beautiful species. Mediterranean; Greece. Zone 5/6. Enter quantity:
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1/$8 |
 Crocus tommasinianus 'Albus'
~ We are becoming more and more enamored with this vigorous and
self-reliant selection, whose starry white flowers with pearly
undertones combine wonderfully with other “tommies.” Rarely offered.
Zone 4. Enter quantity:
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1/$2.50 |
 Crocus tommasinianus
Lavender Striped
~ We're not sure whether it's pure tommy or a hybrid, but whatever its
pedigree it's a valuable addition to the roster of early-bloooming
spring croci. As the moniker suggests, the pale lavender flowers
are attractively streaked with dark purple.
Zone 4.
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1/$2.50 |
 Crocus tommasinianus 'Lilac
Beauty' ~ Colorful, gracile selection, whose elegant, slender,
starry "petals" are violet inside, light lilac outside. Choice "tommy"
for that special spot, and one of our favorites. Zone 4.
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1/$1 |
 Crocus tommasinianus 'Pictus'
~ E. A. Bowles' selection, and a splendid one at that, large and
silvery-lavender with deep purple tips. Comes true
from seed. Zone 4.
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1/$2.50 |
Crocus vernus ssp. heuffelianus ~ This large pearly-lilac selection with rich purple inner segments and purple-tipped outer segments is a splendid exemplar of eastern European forms of C. vernus, most of which once went by the above subspecies name. A good colonizer, it is beloved by all who grow it. Modified
continental/montane; C & E Europe. Zone 3/4. Enter quantity:
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1/$2 |
 Crocus vernus ssp. heuffelianus 'Carpathian Wonder' ~ After decades of scouring Europe and central Asia for beautiful bulbs, the great Janis Ruksans still counts this 1978 discovery (from Uklin Pass) among his most outstanding introductions: "I never again found a crocus like this". The flowers are pristine white, but for a bold deep-purple chevron near their tips which sometimes continues as a narrow midstripe. Modified continental/montane; Carpathian Mountains. Zone 5.
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1/$20 |
 Crocus vernus 'Tatra Shades' ~ This gives the impression of a C. vernus doing an impression of C. tommasinianus 'Pictus'. Silvery lavender flowers daubed at their tips with rich violet-purple. We're impressed. Montane; Carpathian Mtns. Zone 5.
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1/$5 |
Crocus versicolor JMH.8215 ~ One of the favorite garden bulbs of yesteryear (with dozens of clones in cultivation in the early 19th century), but rarely offered today except in the
form of 'Picturatus,' this variable species bears good-sized flowers
in a range of colors from lilac to white, all with purple stripes
and pearly undertones. Some real beauties here. February/March bloom.
Mediterranean; SE France. Zone 5.
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1/$6 |
 Crocus 'Early Gold'
(Reticulatus hybrid) ~ The flowers of this hybrid of C. angustifolius and C. reticulatus
are lemon-yellow with vertical aubergine stripes. They arrive in quantity – as many as 14 per corm
– in late winter. Zone 4.
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1/$3 |
 Crocus 'Nida'
(Reticulatus hybrid) ~ Here is the earliest blooming of the several beautiful cultivars that resulted when Leonid Bondarenko crossed C. reticulatus with C. angustifolius. The sunny yellow flowers have aubergine stripes running the length of their tubes and outer segments. A joyous sight in late winter.
Zone 4.
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1/$3 |
 Crocus 'Uschak
Orange'
(Chrysanthus
hybrid) ~ If your garden lacks zing in the weeks before spring, you
might want to consider an application of this, the orangest and among
the earliest of the chrysanthus hybrids. Zone 4. |
SOLD OUT
1/$3 |
| Crocus 'Yalta'
(Tommasinianus
hybrid) ~ The closely related C. tommasinianus and C. vernus have the occasional garden interlude, sometimes with eye-catching results. Such is the case with this cultivar, whose pale pearly blue outer segments open to reveal inner "petals" of the same deep violet-blue color as the flower tube. It's hard to believe that something this beautiful didn't happen by design. Zone 4.
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1/$3 |