Crocus scardicus
| Flowering Time |
Spring |
|
Distribution |
Macedonia; E Albania |
|
Native Climate |
Cold winter with snow cover, short moist summer |
|
Wild Habitat |
Short alpine turf, flowering near melting snow |
|
Distinctive Features |
Flower yellow/orange in upper two thirds, purple in lower third and tube. Corm tunic finely netted fibres. Leaf with no white stripe on upper surface |
|
Closest Relatives |
|
|
Cultivation Requirements |
Cold winter preferred, cool moist conditions in summer. |
|
Availability |
Sometimes available from specialist bulb suppliers |
As with Crocus pelistericus this species occupies a high, alpine habitat where summer is short, damp and cool, while winter may involve as much as six months snow cover. The cultivation of these species is therefore a challenge in areas which suit many other Crocus species which enjoy a warm dry summer rest. Crocus scardicus is grown outside successfully in some parts of Scotland where the summers is cooler and shorter than the southern UK.
A hybrid with Crocus pelistericus has been produced in cultivation at Gothenburg Botanic Gardens.