Crocus April 2008

[Maggi Young]

Travel safely, Arthur! We look forward to sharing your pictures when you get  back

[Paul T]

Dirk,

Love that minimus.  Very nice!! 

Guff,
Is the 'Tatra Shades' a named form of heuffelianus?  It looks like it has the same sort of markings.

[Guff]

Paul, this is the description.

Crocus vernus 'Tatra Shades' ~ This gives the impression of a C. vernus doing an impression of C. tommasinianus 'Pictus'. Silvery lavender flowers daubed at their tips with rich violet-purple. We're impressed. Montane; Carpathian Mtns. Zone 5.

Bought mine from odysseybulbs.
http://www.odysseybulbs.com/springcrocus.html

[Paul T]

Interesting, so it just happens to have similar markings to the heuffelianus, rather than actually being one?  They look rather interesting.  Would be interesting to see them in person.

[HClase]

Paul that mathewii in the other thread is fantastic - I must look out for it, I think I'd dismissed it as "just another white one" before.  If it's that early it just might do outside here too. 

At last, I can post a couple of real outdoor croci, nothing special, just chrysanthus cultivars, but better than the snow that was covering them two days ago and still covers 90% of our garden.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Thomas, re C. medius. I mentioned it to Marcus and here's his reply.

"Yes, this is the commercial clone of medius that has been around for years and is virused. Most of the time it flowers and thrives but you should get rid of any that show really heavy infestation. I don't find that aphids feed on crocus so there is little chance of transferring it around. It is a potyvirus I think and is widespread in iris as well. Why don't you get your mate Mr Huber to send you wild collected seed he gets down on the French Riviera? It's a much better plant but I have only a few."

I've noticed in my own plants from previous years (I bought them around 10 years ago I think) that the buds on those are streaky as well. For safety's sake, I think I'll get rid of the lot.

[Lesley Cox]

Yesterday a 4th flower opened on C. mathewii and it was the more typical, rounded crocus shape, with blunt-tipped petals and not so wide open and flat so it must be from the 3rd corm and the other 3 from the 1st two, if you see what I mean, which suggests Marcus' stock is from his own seed.

[Lesley Cox]

These two I'd forgotten all about as they're in weedy troughs which need urgent refurbishing. The first I have as C. cancellatus ssp. mazziaricus but I'm not sure. Any comments please?


Crocus kotschyanus in a lovely white form. I know nothing of the origins of this crocus. It was just THERE one day, a couple of years ago. Otherwise, it is in a patch of C. corsicus which flowers later of course. There is one white in the garden too, another unknown as to how it got there or where it came from.

[tonyg]

I don't find that aphids feed on crocus so there is little chance of transferring it around.

What are the aphids up here doing on my crocus then?!!!

[Lesley Cox]

I was quoting Marcus Harvey remember. I haven't noticed aphids on crocus here. But then all on mine are out in the open air, never under glass and I think the same would apply to Marcus in Tasmania. All the same, I'm getting rid of my streaky medius as a precaution, and might spray the crocuses with a systemic insecticide.

[fermi de Sousa]

Well, if Lesley and Paul are going to confuse things by posting Southern Hemisphere crocus in this thread, I might as well!
here's Crocus goulimyi Albus, taken at dusk with the flash, unfortunately,


And I've posted this one in the Southern hemisphere thread, it's a seed raised C. nudiflorus that isn't! I think it's C. speciosus, or maybe C. pulchellus.



cheers
fermi

[Boyed]

Lesley,

The crocus in your second picture seem to be crocus pulchellus "Zephyr".

[Lesley Cox]

Zhirair do you mean the one I called a white kotschyanus? I hadn't even thought of that. I've never had pulchellus `Zephyr' so still it would be a mystery plant. But very happy to have it. Thank you. I should have remembered the very distinctive throat markings, as in Fermi's picture.

Fermi I think yours is kotschyanus.

[Boyed]

Lesley,

Certainly, I ment the one you call white kotschyanus.
I am posting few pics of mine to compare. Pulchellus "Zephyr" is a wonderful variety and one of my favourites.

[Paul T]

Paul that mathewii in the other thread is fantastic - I must look out for it, I think I'd dismissed it as "just another white one" before.  If it's that early it just might do outside here too. 

Howard,

Thanks for the comment.  I was starting to wonder whether there was any interest in the pics or not, as I seem of late to get little response.  I guess many of my thinks are probably common to others overseas though.

Lesley,

Glad your mathewii finally gave you a round flowered version.  I posted a pic of mine in the Evolution of a Crocus Garden thread, but perhaps would have been more seen here?  Glad I got a picture of it yesterday morning after it opened, as we had a hail storm yesterday afternoon and it now has somewhat less petals (well 2 less petals to be precise) and looks a tad frazzled now.  I was at work at 7am this morning so I didn't see how it looked when open without it's petals, and it was closed by the time I got home at around 4pm.