Colchicum 2014

[Matt T]

Taken in 2011, this is C. variegatum on the Greek island of Naxos, not far from the summit of Mt. Zas. I found quite a few in bloom, all out in the open. Cyclamen and Sternbergia were only flowering under spiny bushes where they were protected from grazing.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Colchicum agrippinum provided a nice show the last few days !

[ebbie]

Wow Luc impressive. Does it grow outdoors? Get it temporary protection?

[Maggi Young]

Colchicum agrippinum is one of my favourite colchicum. I love the markings on the flowers. Here in Aberdeen it grows happily in the open garden with no protection and has survived winters with periods down to minus 19 C.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wow Luc impressive. Does it grow outdoors? Get it temporary protection?

It does quite well outdoors, Ebbie without any protection at all !

[johnstephen29]

Hi matt I'm trying it for the first time outside here, I managed to get hold of a growing bulb at the cyclamen society show last autumn at wisley & when it finished flowering I planted it out next to my pheasant pen, I'm glad it survived.

[jshields]

Various Colchicum are starting to bloom in Indiana now, too.  C. autumnale are sending up scattered blooms along the edge of the lane to the back greenhouse.  They (or at least some of them) have survived a couple of rebuilds of that lane plus a couple of underground utilities' installations.  They must be tough!

I tried one bulb of agrippinum once years ago and lost it after the second year.  I planted it outdoors in the ground, near one of the greenhouses.  I have never been very successful growing tender Colchicum in pots and wintering in the greenhouse, but I thought agrippinum was hardy here.

Also coming up are C. bornmuelleri and C. byzantinum.  'The Giant' is also up and blooming now, in the same bed where I lost the agrippinum.

Jim

[johnstephen29]

Hi I looked out of my kitchen window & thought what a miserable rotten day, I then happened to look down & saw colchicum cilicicum in flower & it cheered me up no end. It dosent seem like two minutes since I planted it.


image by johnstephen29, on Flickr

[ebbie]

Luc and Maggi, thank you for your informations. I think I'll try it with Colchicum agrippinum.

I had years ago Colchicum variegatum in both in the greenhouse as well outdoors. In both cases I saw but never one flower!

[krisderaeymaeker]

Taken in 2011, this is C. variegatum on the Greek island of Naxos, not far from the summit of Mt. Zas. I found quite a few in bloom, all out in the open. Cyclamen and Sternbergia were only flowering under spiny bushes where they were protected from grazing.

Nice to see them like that Matt. A favorite Colchicum and it is Always so good to see them growing in the wild. We already see them flowering in Kos and Rhodos. 

[krisderaeymaeker]

Luc and Maggi, thank you for your informations. I think I'll try it with Colchicum agrippinum.
I had years ago Colchicum variegatum in both in the greenhouse as well outdoors. In both cases I saw but never one flower!

I think this is a very good decision Eberhard. C. agrippinum is also hardy here and I think it is reliable in our gardens.
C. variegatum is indeed a bad performer here. I saw it in flower in Kos on a very very hot slope. It was growing in a kind of sand and the temperature was raising very high even in september. There was no protection at al , the sun was bursting. I have the same problem here , it is not an easy one to getting into flower. I remember that Franz was very succesfully for many years until his plant was frozen .

[ArnoldT]

Labels long gone.

Colchicum

[ArnoldT]

Looks like Colchicum tenori.

[LucS]

Colchicum sanguicolle and colchicum confusum

[mark smyth]

My unknown ?species Colchicum is producing different flowers from the same bulb. All first flowers were the same but all second flowers are a different shape. Very confusing!

first photo shows first flowers
second photos shows first flowers and second flowers together