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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. × 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 ~ Etruscan crocus is closely related to Crocus tommasinianus – a relationship it does little to hide, considering that it too pushes up pale lilac-blue flowers with silvery highlights in late winter. It differs from the tommies in its yellow floral tube and conspicuously veined outer segments. Don't expect it to self-sow as enthusiastically either. Mediterranean; W Italy. Zone 6.
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1/$2 |
| Crocus etruscus 'Zwanenburg'
~ This Etruscan earns its stripes (of which it has relatively few) via its relatively large blooms that "appear a stronger, almost pure blue en masse" (Bryan). 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 &ndash their bases pleasingly blotched with purple &ndash 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/$6 |
 Crocus × 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/$5 |
 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 'Agalik' ~ This little show-off is shiny buttercup yellow, decorated outside with deep maroon blotches. Steppe. Zone 3/4.
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1/$2 |
| Crocus korolkowii 'Amulet' ~ The exteriors of the pale amber-yellow blooms are heavily feathered with deep aubergine flames. A newcomer to the catalog. Steppe. Zone 3/4.
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1/$3 |
| Crocus korolkowii 'Black-Eyed Beauty' ~ The relatively large lemon-yellow flowers of this new-to-us selection have chocolate purple stippling and a black-purple eye zone. Nothing could be finer than a crocus with a shiner. Steppe. Zone 3/4.
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1/$3 |
 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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 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? Steppe. Zone 3/4.
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 Crocus malyi CEH.519 ~ Here is a particularly showy-flowered form of the species that Crocus guru Brian Mathew praises as one of the best for the garden. This March-blooming Balkan native bears large, white, yellow-centered flowers with undertones of rose. Yellow anthers and orange stigmas add to the show. Vigorous and self-sowing, Crocus malyi possesses remarkable hardiness for a coastal Mediterranean species. Deserves much wider use. W Croatia. Zone 5. AGM
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1/$4 |
| Crocus malyi 'Ballerina' ~ A Crocus malyi dressed in pure white (with a hint of pearly-gray). W Croatia. Zone 5. Enter quantity:
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1/$4 |
 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 'Eric Smith'
~ This selection offers something extra – two "petals", to be precise (eight instead of the usual six). The white, purple-flecked flowers are thus fuller than those of other “tommies.” Another seldom-offered cultivar.
Zone 4. Enter quantity:
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1/$6 |
 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 'Michael's Purple' ~ This is not a hybrid Dutch Crocus; it's a new clone deriving from wild-collected seed. Lavender blooms with dark purple tips are beautifully accented by the orange stigmata – interior decoration at its best. It likes summer moisture. Modified continental; Ukraine. Zone 4.
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1/$5 |
 Crocus vernus 'Uklin Strain' ~ In Uklin Pass in the Carpathians, Janis Ruksans collected some of the most pulchritudinous members of a particularly colorful population of the species. These seed-grown corms descend from that collection. Modified continental/montane; Ukraine. Zone 5. Enter quantity:
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1/$5 |
Crocus versicolor JMH.8215 ~ Here is a splendid assortment of a robust seedling strain of one of the favorite garden crocuses of yesteryear (with dozens of clones in cultivation in the early 19th century). Expect large 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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 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. Enter quantity:
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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. Enter quantity:
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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. Enter quantity:
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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 |