Crocus January and February 2019

[Yann]

In 2015 i collected seeds of Crocus near Başyayla, Turkey. Several pots are flowering for the first time. The bad and rainy weather has damaged the flowers and yellowed the leafs. I'm thinking of Crocus taurii. Anyone can confirm?

[Janis Ruksans]

In 2015 i collected seeds of Crocus near Başyayla, Turkey. Several pots are flowering for the first time. The bad and rainy weather has damaged the flowers and yellowed the leafs. I'm thinking of Crocus taurii. Anyone can confirm?

I'm afraid that it is not C.taurii. At first the distance between yours locality (if I found it correctly on Google Earth) and locality of C. taurii according HKEP is around 500 km, C. taurii in general is blue, rarely whitish. Here I'm attaching some of my pictures of crocus which I regard as taurii.

[Janis Ruksans]

Today I got nice mail from Germany with attached photo of pink Crocus alatavicus (I'm attaching it here). In 2017 I sent abroad 2 corms of it - one was sent to Japan, another to Germany. With me left the smallest from 3 what I had. This picture inspired me to visit greenhouse where some days ago I took of the cover, because in became too warm below it. Today in greenhouse was + 4 C (outside +1-2 C). Checking my pot with my corm of pink alatavicus I found 2 noses just-just at soil surface, so I hope again for 2 corms this season. But most of crocuses still are sleeping. Only one more flower of C. caspius came out, started blooming one acquisition of C. laevigatus and still are blooming C. cartwrightianus cretense, laevigatus, pumilus and few boryi. From so named spring bloomers - only 2 pots with hittiticus - others only showed tips of leaves. Last year at this time they were in full bloom. Leaves of mine newly published C. hatayensis at present are around 20 cm long, whilst kotschyanus just just show noses on few pots. Weather broadcast warns about dropping of temperature up to minus 12 after 2 days, so after tomorrow most likely again will cover plantings. Frost wave will be around one week and then again + temperatures are announced for most of January.

[annew]

A beauty, Janis!

[Yann]

I'm afraid that it is not C.taurii. At first the distance between yours locality (if I found it correctly on Google Earth) and locality of C. taurii according HKEP is around 500 km, C. taurii in general is blue, rarely whitish. Here I'm attaching some of my pictures of crocus which I regard as taurii.

I've a taurii from you, a dark form, almost blooming. I remind hower having grown a really pale form i lost in 2017.
The JJVV-015 has similar segments.

I collected seeds near the lake of Ermenek while searching for a rare Ophrys.

[Leucogenes]

Janis...your Crocus alatavicus (pink) is one of the most beautiful Crocus I've ever seen. Especially at this stage of the half open flower...a dream.

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis...your Crocus alatavicus (pink) is one of the most beautiful Crocus I've ever seen. Especially at this stage of the half open flower...a dream.

Only I want accent - that this picture is not mine, but made by my German customer. My own corm still not started blooming.

[Leucogenes]

Only I want accent - that this picture is not mine, but made by my German customer. My own corm still not started blooming.

Of course... you mentioned that in your article. Please excuse my forgetfulness...I'm a bit intoxicated by this fantastic tiny one. 😊

[Yann]

Crocus tauri JR 221, this one is from you Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus tauri JR 221, this one is from you Janis

JR-221 - is it cataloguers number? If so - from which year?
Here after two days of strong wing and snowstorm (with little snow, would like more) started moderate frost. Tonight (and for coming 3-4 nights) minus 8 C, but after week for two nights dropping down to minus 20 C is proposed. Hope this will not come, but winter must to start. Today I will return covering with night frost protection film, but if really will be serious cooling , glass wool sheets will be returned.

[Yann]

I can't remind Janis, i didn't note year.

Spring has started in the greenhouse, again much more ahead than previous season, it's gloomy, dull but temperatures are above 5°c.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Sunspot'
Crocus reticulatus
Crocus tauri

[Janis Ruksans]

With me frost and dull weather. No flowers are opening. Yesterday returned covering of my beds and noted flower bud noses of C. fauseri coming out, but no real spring flower yet, single exception is C. hittiticus, but flowers stay tightly closed.

[tonyg]

A couple of crocus in flower here.  Hoping for colder weather for another six weeks or so ... some hope 

Crocus chrysanthus S0225 - the sole survivor from several collections David S shared sixteen years ago.  From Greece, between Drama and Xanthi.  I have seed raised progeny from a couple of the others.

Crocus hartmannianus from Crocus Group seed sown 2015.   It's nice to think that careful cultivation and sharing of seeds/plants allows us to grow these very rare plants and perhaps in time contribute to their future survival in the wild.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Janis, the pink alatavicus is really ubelievable !!  What a treasure.

Here I have 2 C. gembosii flowering from you - very different in colour and stature - both beautiful though and the fragrance is heavenly!!!!
Very happy with the clone with the almost black style. (this is not 'Sunspot')

[Steve Garvie]

Nice plants Tony and Luc!

The recent mild weather has brought a number of crocus to flower here.

Crocus nubigena


Crocus pseudonubigena


Crocus caricus


Crocus seisumsiana


Crocus gembosii Sunspot