Winter Flowering Colchicums December 2008

[Anthony Darby]

Will take a closeup of the leaves of both "tomorrow" Mark.

[Anthony Darby]

Here are closeups of Cc. hirsutum and munsurense leaves.

[mark smyth]

Here is my Colchicum hirsutum again. All bulbs are producing pale flowers except for one that has pink flowers. There are some leaves just coming through. All are pink tipped.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I find the pink one very attractive Mark !

[dominique]

Mark, my hirsutum is flowerless, only leaves. Better next year, I hope ! Here is Colchicum zangezurum (Merendera) first time to bloom

[dominique]

Colchicum kesselringii

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Look nice Dominique - are you growing them outside ?

[Anthony Darby]

Here is my Colchicum hirsutum again. All bulbs are producing pale flowers except for one that has pink flowers. There are some leaves just coming through. All are pink tipped.

Mark, my hirsutum doesn't have pink tips to its leaves but my munzurense does. I suspect yours to be the latter?

[mark smyth]

Dominique I would like my kessellringii to grow like yours. One last year had 27 flowers from one bulb.

Anthony I know a man who will have the answer for these little Colchicums. I'm sure he is watching

[Jim]

Mark and Anthony,
I believe that you can solve this problem easily come summer. C. munzurense should have stoloniferous bulbs. If C. hirsutum produces offsets they should cluster close together and munzurense a little farther apart.
Jim

[mark smyth]

Thanks Jim I'll try and remember when they are dormant

[dominique]

Look nice Dominique - are you growing them outside ?

No Luc under glass

[mark smyth]

Last two photos of Colchicum hirsutum to show the comparison

And the best I can do to photograph C. cretense by using a shaving mirrow to reflect light

[Anthony Darby]

Your hirsutum looks like my munsurense.

[Oron Peri]

C. ritchii starts to bloom now,
It can be found growing  in N. Africa, Jordan and Israel where it is a common species in the Negev Desert, usually in sandy areas, it appear equally in these two color forms.
Main time of bloom is January.