Colchicum and autumn-flowering Crocus blooms emerge from September through early November. Some groups bring subdued white- to pink-hued blooms to the autumn garden while others provide splashes of vivid purple-red and deep purple flowers.
Colchicum species and hybrids, and certain species of Crocus, are garden bulb anomalies mainly because they bloom in autumn. Their large blossoms bring a wow factor to landscapes because most garden viewers are not expecting such dramatic sights as gardens begin to shut down.
Allan M. Armitage, in “Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on Their Identification, Culture, and Garden Attributes” Third Edition, 2008, Stipes Publishing, writes that his experiences with fall-blooming bulbs in his GA garden have been disappointing. He says that cooler climates probably yield better-behaved plants.
Low-growing dwarf evergreens like junipers, hemlocks and yew provide excellent contrasts for eye-catching displays of fall-blooming bulbs. Blooms from these bulbs also brighten up perennial plantings when planted near sun-loving low-growers like sedums, ajugas and heartleaf bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia) that have evergreen foliage or leaves that persist attractively. (Photos # 1 & 2)
How to Identify Colchicum and Crocus
Armitage in “Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on Their Identification, Culture, and Garden Attributes,” page 278, lists four differences:
Order dormant corms Colchicum and Crocus early and plant dormant corms in late summer or early autumn to allow roots and emerging flowers to develop.
Independent garden centers, discount big-box stores, and internet / mail order catalog vendors market autumn-blooming bulbs. Which is the best source for purchasing these expensive plants? Buy dormant corms from internet / mail order catalog companies with good reputations that use well-established standards for bulb handling and storage.
Open trays or aerated bins hold bulbs for storage. Storerooms are cool [55-65¬∞F (13-18¬∞C)], well-ventilated and ethylene-free areas. Ethylene is a colorless, odorless gas produced by ripening fruit like apples and pears. Ethylene causes “flower abortion” and other flowering problems in bulbs exposed to it. Merchants usually deliver bulbs at the proper time for planting in specific plant hardiness growing zones.
Avoid the temptation to buy corms impulsively from store displays. Warm dry store atmosphere dries out the developing flowers and leaves resulting in poor garden displays. Avoid buying blooming Colchicums from countertop displays. Forced as novelties, these corms will not succeed as garden plantings.
Bloom times vary depending upon plant hardiness zone and microclimate of the landscape garden. Colchicum and autumn-blooming Crocus blossoms both emerge from September through October. For example, Kotschy’s crocus (Crocus kotschyanus) blossoms appear slightly earlier than those of easy-to-grow showy crocus (Crocus speciosus) and its cultivars.
Colchicum leaves are usually broad, dark green and about 10 to 12″ long. The deer and rodent-proof leaves emerge in late winter to early spring, but die back by midsummer. Crocus leaves are narrow, dark green, although some have white stripes, and mature at about 10 to 15″ long. They emerge slightly before or with the blossoms and continue to grow and elongate.
The best location in which to locate and grow any plant is the one closest to its native environment. “The Random House Book of Bulbs”, 1989, by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix describes and shows in detailed photographs the great numbers of autumn-blooming bulbs growing in natural Mediterranean habitats.
It is best to plant autumn-blooming bulbs in sunny well-drained locations. Add organic material that does not interfere with drainage to the planting bed. Corms rot if soil is wet or boggy. Cover corms with one to two inches of soil.
Rock gardens are one excellent location. Sunny edges of perennial beds and shrub borders are other prime planting spots. Crocus blooms stretch and flop over if shaded, while Colchicum needs filtered shade in the south.
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