Crocus pulchellus
| Flowering Time |
Autumn |
|
Distribution |
Macedonia; Serbia; S Bulgaria; N Greece; Turkey |
|
Native Climate |
Mediterranean |
|
Wild Habitat |
Damp turf and in thin woodland or scrub |
|
Distinctive Features |
Flowers pale to mid lilac with darker veins. Anthers white, filaments hairy. Corm tunic coriaceous splitting into rings at the base |
|
Closest Relatives |
|
|
Cultivation Requirements |
Tolerant of some summer moisture. Grown outside without protection in UK gardens given well drained soil |
|
Availability |
Widely available from specialist suppliers and in commerce* |
An easy and attractive autumn flowering species, with a stronger tube than the related Crocus speciosus. This makes it a better garden plant, being less prone to flop over. There is a very large flowered form, possibly of hybrid origin, called 'Zephyr'. This has greyish lilac flowers.
*In UK garden centres some (or more) of the stock offered (of Dutch origin) is unfortunately mixed or hybridised with Crocus speciosus. Only a proportion of the corms will produce flowers of the appearance below, the rest appear to be Crocus speciosus.
A form raised from wild collected seed
A clone available from UK specialist bulb suppliers.
White form. Vigorous and increases in the garden here.
Corms showing papery tunic with some evidence of basal rings.