Crocus March 2008

[Paul T]

Here's two more pics taken just now of my unknown.  Unless the style is distorted on this particular flower, it doesn't seem to look like speciosus, as they have long branching styles don't they?  The colour in the face shot is a bit darker than in reality... the side shots are more accurate.

[Lesley Cox]

Your earlier pic certainly isn't C. abantensis Paul. Mine flowers late July-August and is a beautiful clear blue.


I already have out a white C. banaticus, but I don't think mine is a very good form, as well CC. pulchellus and kotschyanus. They must be sprouting with just a little night time dew because there's been no rain for ages.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Your clear blue I think is what I was recalling for the species, and what I was looking forward to.  Banaticus didn't flower for me this year and unfortunately my white has died out.    C. pulchellus was shooting madly as I basketed it for the new garden but nothing above ground as yet so I'm figuring no flowers this year either.  None of my other speciosus or kotschyanus albus (I don't think I have the straight species from memory) flowers for me either.  All in all it has been a non-Crocus autumn YET for me, but I would imagine that will change.  We've had very hot here the last couple of weeks with no rain for a month, so I expect that some things would have waited a little longer, even if they were starting after our cooler February.  Hopefully with the heat breaking some will turn up, at least that is what it looks like with this speciosus or whatever it is.

[art600]

Tony Can you ID this Crocus growing in an old garden near me. Do I 'rescue' them or leave them?

Also present in the garden are Colchicums, Erythroniums, Galanthus and Anenome apeninna in 5 types - white, blue, semi double white, semi double blue and fully double blue

Is the garden abandoned?  How?  If you like the Crocus, why do you ask for our permission to 'rescue' it.

[mark smyth]

Yes the garden is abandoned. If I ask permission to take plants the answer will probably be no.

[art600]

Meant to post this earlier - photo was taken on March 6th.  Identification please

[mark smyth]

Looks like one of the dark tommasinianus

[Lesley Cox]

Yes the garden is abandoned. If I ask permission to take plants the answer will probably be no.

If the garden's abandoned, who's to ask? Be a man, my son, and go and get the darned thing.

Having said that, I DID ask permission to dig some colchicums from a farm paddock yesterday, was given it and came home with a large bucket full. I think they're C. autumnale of which I only have the white form, so I was very pleased. The flowers, many hundreds of them, were badly trampled by sheep so not to be photographed but I'll ask for a positive ID this time next year.

I've been seeing these colchicums in this same place for the last 18 years and never had the courage previously to ask if I could have a few. When I did ask, the farmer was very surprised as he'd never noticed them before They were both sides of what must have originally been a garden path as there was a double line of small rocks, about 80cms apart, deeply overgrown by grass, so there must have been a small house there at one time.

[tonyg]

Tony Can you ID this Crocus growing in an old garden near me. Anne and I thought tommie but as it hasnt seeded everywhere it possibly isnt. The inner petal has a white edge and a heuffelianus type mark but in white. Do I 'rescue' them or leave them?

Sorry for slow response - It looks like a tommy to me or a tom x vernus hybrid.  Mice can influence spread, even nipping out the seed pods.  In an abandonned garden mice might thrive.  Try offering to buy the bulbs from the garden, you might get a better response!

[mark smyth]

There are only about 10 Crocus that I could see

[Boyed]

Yesterday I spared some time to go to the mountains to select some interesting specimens of crocus adamii. I could even manage to find few rare white  and white with plae sky-blue tints samples as well. There were some interesting bi-colours too. I m planning to multiply the most interesting and bright samples and indroduce them in culture.
Some pics:

[Paul T]

Zhirair,

Very nice.  Hadn't come across this species until your various postings on it.  Always good to learn something new.  Looks like a fairly variable species from the pics you've posted?

[ashley]

Tony Can you ID this Crocus growing in an old garden near me. Anne and I thought tommie but as it hasnt seeded everywhere it possibly isnt. The inner petal has a white edge and a heuffelianus type mark

Mark,
It's rather like tommasinianus x vernus 'Yalta' but may pre-date it if planting in the garden stopped a while ago.

[mark smyth]

Ashley 'Yalta' is huge compared to those I saw. I going back on Saturday to get them

C. adamii looks great

[Lesley Cox]

This one is way out-of-season for you in the NH but it's just the start of autumn species down here. Is Crocus mathewii usually as pointy-petalled as this? I love it.