Colchicum munzurense

Opening their narrow “petals” in late winter and early spring, the dainty, starry, pink-tinged flowers of this recently described species have a merendera look to them. Don’t let its delicate appearance fool you, though: it takes quite readily to a sunny, gritty niche in a rock garden or trough. Like all the spring species, it has lance-shaped, scilla-like leaves that are much smaller than those of most fall-blooming colchicums. Steppe; E Turkey. Zone 5.

Photo: Averater, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0