Crocus Poll - Your top 5

[Anthony Darby]

Ah ha, a lovely pic of wattiorum. I saw some lovely pics of this species last week in David Millward's talk. BTW, he says that Crocus pelistericus produces its seed pods in Sepember on 50cm stems!

[Janis Ruksans]

Oh, my internet. For third time I’m writing second part of my “Poll-5”.
So top-5 spring species:
Crocus aerius is my most loved annulate crocus (with basal tunic rings) although others of this group are so beautiful, that is very difficult to select some;
Crocus ancyrensis is excellent, but nothing can be compared with brown colored form from surroundings of Tokat in Turkey;
Crocus graveolens is variable, too, but this form is simply superb, possibly can be surpassed by very similar in color but much more floriferous C. korolkowii DYTISCUS;
Crocus baytopiorum belongs to my favorites between blue spring bloomers;
Crocus cvijicii is one of my favorites, too but very rare cream colored form of it surpasses everything.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

The third and last top-5 – spring blooming cultivars
There are some varieties raised by me, but they are my real favorites (and many others of course, too):
Crocus biflorus x Snow Crystal – my seedling of open pollinated Dutch “chrysanthus” cultivar.
Crocus chrysanthus Sunspot – unsurpassed, possibly only black anthered can to compare. I’m trying to cross both to receive black stigma and black anthers in same flower
Crocus heuffelianus Carpathian Wonder – no comments
Crocus sieberi Cretan Snow – smaller than Bowles’ White but fertile
Crocus x gotoburgensis – so variable, not easy to select some of those beauties selected in Gothenburg BG (put it here as was short in space (limited by five) instead of C.palistericus and scardicus in previous mail)

[Janis Ruksans]

Ah ha, a lovely pic of wattiorum. I saw some lovely pics of this species last week in David Millward's talk. BTW, he says that Crocus pelistericus produces its seed pods in September on 50cm stems!

Here in Latvia seeds of both C. pelistericus and scardicus (and their hybrid - C. gotoburgensis, too) ripes only in September, but stalks is ~20-25 cm long (tall)
Janis

[Anthony Darby]

I'm looking forward to my 'Carpathian Wonder' flowering again next year.

[udo]

My Top five:

Crocus caspius
   ``    scharojanii
   ``    biflorus ssp.pulchricolor
   ``    scardicus
   ``    sieberi ssp.sieberi

[art600]

Janis

My choices were based on mostly available Crocus, not your rare and beautiful choices.  I would love to have all Crocus mentioned in the various lists, but some will have to remain a dream.

So glad you have access to the internet and can show us such treasures.  Not only beautiful plants, but beautifully photographed.

[Martin Baxendale]

Superb photos of some beautiful crocus, Janis. The C. x gotoburgensis look good enough to eat!

[mark smyth]

Janis you are such a tease

[David Nicholson]

WOW

[Anthony Darby]

Janis you are such a tease

I agree Mark. There should be a sanity clause!

I like "gotoburgensis" too. I know some people hate it, but, I suspect, not enough to chuck (my) away.

[Tony Willis]

Ah ha, a lovely pic of wattiorum. I saw some lovely pics of this species last week in David Millward's talk. BTW, he says that Crocus pelistericus produces its seed pods in September on 50cm stems!

Here in Latvia seeds of both C. pelistericus and scardicus (and their hybrid - C. gotoburgensis, too) ripes only in September, but stalks is ~20-25 cm long (tall)
Janis

I find that C. pelistericus produces its seed in June on 10cm stems.I am hoping my first pot of C. gotoburgensis will flower for the first time next spring.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Stunning Crocus Janis !!!!!!!

[DaveM]

Oh, why, oh why, are we so tempted when asked such questions???

Here's my choice

Crocus mathewi - none other than the deep purple throated one
C niveus - the bicoloured form
C sieberi Firefly
C olivieri
C pelistericus - so fabulous a deep colour

[Ian Y]

It is always so difficult to select just five but these are the ones I would not like to be without.

Crocus scardicus
Crocus scharojanii flavus
Crocus vallicola
Crocus gargaricus
Crocus mathewii

On second thoughts I would not like to be without any of the ones we grow and there are several (hundreds) I would like to add to our garden.

Janis your Crocus heufelianus "Carpathan Wonder" is one beauty.

I have not that taken with C. x "gotoburgensis" as it has not the beauty of its parents see this bulb log.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2005/290305/log.html

However I do remember Janis showing a picture of second generation seedlings raised from "gotoburgensis" and they were beautiful - mine have never set any seed but that is the reason I will hang on to them.