Colchicum 2022

[Yann]

So fresh & cool to see all these Colchicum after such warm and dry summer. I'll post this week end.

[Leena]

Colchicum speciosum 'Atrorubens'

This is very pretty! I had it once, but it vanished one winter. Now this year I ordered a new one from Sulev Savisaar, and just got email that parcel is in mail coming. 
I think I will plant it in dryer spot than where the vanished one was.

[LucS]

Colchicum feinbruniae grown from Oron Peri seed.
Tessalation is esp. visible at the start of the flowering
Plants can produce a few flowers per corm

[LucS]

Colchicum longifolium from South of France

[Yann]

Colchicum pusillum, very tiny species.

[Mariette]

Another exciting issue of IRG is just online, which introduces new species to teach us more about the tremendous diversity of plants. 
Latvian,  Jānis  Ruksans works with his Ukranian colleague, Dimitri Zubov, to bring us a new Colchicum species. This is Colchicum kackarense, a new autumn-blooming species from the Kaçkar Mountains in north-eastern Turkey. 


https://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2022Mar241648143669IRG_147.pdf

Thanks, Maggi! This new discovery is certainly one of the most beautiful species!

This is very pretty! I had it once, but it vanished one winter. Now this year I ordered a new one from Sulev Savisaar, and just got email that parcel is in mail coming. 
I think I will plant it in dryer spot than where the vanished one was.

I´m sorry for Your losses, Leena! Colchicum speciosum appears to be generally less hardy than others.

My favourite double is Colchicum autumnale ´Pleniflorum´, due to the refined arrangement of the tepals.



A species from from Georgia, lavishly setting seed and seeding around.

[Leena]

Colchicum speciosum appears to be generally less hardy than others.

I suspected there might be differences in hardiness even in the common Colchicums. 'Atrorubens' was the only one I had lost before last winter, which was bad also for my Colchicums.
I am now over all the losses and enjoying the ones which are left, and planting more bulbs for next spring.

A species from from Georgia, lavishly setting seed and seeding around.

This is very pretty, and I like how you can combine them with Cyclamen.

Yann and Luc, I enjoy your pictures of species Colchicums, they wouldn't do here I think.

Some of my colchicums from the past two weeks time.
'Gracia' is a new one for me, planted in August. Pretty paler looking flowers.
Also 'Neptun' was a new one, and looks nice and early.
Colchicum x byzantinum 'Album' has done well, it has been here for 5 years I think.

[Leena]

Colchicums in the garden. I love how they add some lilac spots in autumn garden. They really make something in the garden this time of year.
My Colchicums are mostly garden hybrids. 'Glory of Heemstede' does very well here and I have now it in many places.

[Leena]

'Autumn Herald' has also been a good one for me and I have been able to divide it several times.
In the second picture in the background the yellow plant is Ranzania japonica which got a very good autumn colour this year.
Third picture there is C.autumnale in the middle, and the other ones are possibly 'Nancy Lindsay', I'm not certain.
Fourth picture is 'Rosy Dawn', picture today when it is at it's best.
Last picture is 'Violet Queen' or bought as such, but reading Colchicum book I have been wondering if it is 'Fellbrigg Violet'??
It has done well here, even last winter.

[Maggi Young]

Really charming photos of all these Colchicum.

[Mariette]

Since many years I suspected rodents to cause losses among my colchicum. This find on bare earth proves them to be the culprits.

[Leena]

Oh, that is bad news. We have also rodents here, some years more than in others, but there has been no damage to Colchicums, yet.

[Yann]

Same here it started last Spring, never hard rodents problems before. Colchicum seems to taste good compared to crocus. I won't try a salad on my side

[ArnoldT]

I've had slugs eat Colchicum corms, but never mammals.

The entire plant contains the alkaloid Colchicine which is very  toxic to humans.

Many mammals can eat things we dare not and vice a versa.