Crocus in the garden March 2010

[Boyed]

crocus vernus ssp. vernus
crocus vernus ssp. vernus Albiflorus B
crocus vernus Dutch hybrid seedlings (virus free) from Janis, very lovely

Zhirair, your C. vernus ssp. vernus caught my attention (as did the beautiful 'Albiflorus'  ).  I am uploading a few photos of a Crocus that I bought mislabeled as C. minimus, but that looks like your vernus ssp. vernus.  Other suggestions were that it could be Whitewell Purple or Barrs Purple, although I don't think it is the latter, which is a lighter color than my plants, and 'Ruby Giant'.  In the photos taken almost a week ago,  I tried to take some side views to see the tubes, which are dark purple near the top, lighter at the base.

Mark, I think your crocus is not vernus at all. In my opinion, it rather look as tommasianus cultivar.

[I.S.]

  Armin your crocuses are very happy in your meadow.
  I have just a little doubt on your C. flavus dissectus! I have not seen before any with speckled outher petals! Is it might be C. graveolens? How they scent!

[Boyed]

crocus vernus ssp. vernus
crocus vernus ssp. vernus Albiflorus B
crocus vernus Dutch hybrid seedlings (virus free) from Janis, very lovely

Zhirair,
nice C. vernus species and hybrid seedlings.  
Does your C. vernus ssp. vernus set seed and which height does it have?
I have a tiny form (7-8cm height, bought 2007 as heuffelianus 'Uklin Strain'!) in my meadow which resemble yours.
It is a very late flowerer but never set seed. I have doubt it is true specis, maybe hybrid with tommasinianus?
What do you think?

Your crocus is quite similar to my vernus ssp. vernus in appearance. Mine are a bit earlier than large-flowering Dutch hybrids, have the same height as hybrids, but with considerably smaller flowers. I haven been growing it for over 4 years and still haven't seen them producing seeds.

Some pix to show:
crocus vernus Paulus Potter (very distinct purplish magenta colour), considerably differs from other purple-coloured vernus cultivars
crocus vernus 'Violet Vanguard' (sport from 'Vanguard', but not bi-coloured and has lilac shading in colour)

[TheOnionMan]

Some pix to show:
crocus vernus Paulus Potter (very distinct purplish magenta colour), considerably differs from other purple-coloured vernus cultivars
crocus vernus 'Violet Vanguard' (sport from 'Vanguard', but not bi-coloured and has lilac shading in colour)

Zhirair, I think I must get some C. vernus, they're lovely.  Paulus Potter is striking rich color, the purple color in the tubes almost all the way to the base.  Do all vernus forms have the strongly white-veined leaves?

[TheOnionMan]

Three forms of Crocus malyi, my last crocus hurrah!

Observing Crocus species over the years, I believe C. malyi to be one of the very best for growing outdoors, providing a bold display of pristine white blooms that are more weatherproof than many.  This message compares C. malyi 'Sveti Roc', C. malyi 'Ballerina', and an unnamed form of C. malyi that I received from Jane McGary that looks more like the 'Ballerina' selection yet still differs.

Cultivar         flower width      tube height   scent                    distinguishing characteristics
=====================================================================
'Sveti Roc'     5.0 cm              2-3 cm        none                     short stature, full rounded flowers, pure white
'Ballerina'       6.5 cm              4 cm           light melon scent     tall stature, brownish tube tops, long petals, outer petals with fine
                                                                                       purple line on outer tips.
McGary form   7-8 cm             5 cm           light melon scent     tallest stature, brownish tube tops, long petals, no purple lines

Photos of each are uploaded.  In the photo of the Jane McGary form, flowering size seedlings are present, and note one on the lower right with rounder petals, a hybrid.

[Janis Ruksans]

Three forms of Crocus malyi, my last crocus hurrah!

Observing Crocus species over the years, I believe C. malyi to be one of the very best for growing outdoors, providing a bold display of pristine white blooms that are more weatherproof than many.  This message compares C. malyi 'Sveti Roc', C. malyi 'Ballerina', and an unnamed form of C. malyi that I received from Jane McGary that looks more like the 'Ballerina' selection yet still differs.

Cultivar         flower width      tube height   scent                    distinguishing characteristics
=====================================================================
'Sveti Roc'     5.0 cm              2-3 cm        none                     short stature, full rounded flowers, pure white
'Ballerina'       6.5 cm              4 cm           light melon scent     tall stature, brownish tube tops, long petals, outer petals with fine
                                                                                       purple line on outer tips.
McGary form   7-8 cm             5 cm           light melon scent     tallest stature, brownish tube tops, long petals, no purple lines

Photos of each are uploaded.  In the photo of the Jane McGary form, flowering size seedlings are present, and note one on the lower right with rounder petals, a hybrid.

Many thanks for showing those features. I never noted those, only this small, almost invisible mark on some plants. I bought both cultivars, but now I'm growing seed raised stocks, and noted that differences are very small and insignificant.
Janis

[Armin]

  Armin your crocuses are very happy in your meadow.
  I have just a little doubt on your C. flavus dissectus! I have not seen before any with speckled outher petals! Is it might be C. graveolens? How they scent!

Ibrahim,
I checked an hour ago outside and did not recognize a scent. Then I cut one flower to inspect the fine speckled pedals and brought it into the warmth.
After a while the flower smelled unpleasantly (it stinks!). Unbelieveable! Consequently it must be indeed a form of C. graveolens!
Thank you, eagle eye!

[Janis Ruksans]

  Armin your crocuses are very happy in your meadow.
  I have just a little doubt on your C. flavus dissectus! I have not seen before any with speckled outher petals! Is it might be C. graveolens? How they scent!

Ibrahim,
I checked an hour ago outside and did not recognize a scent. Then I cut one flower to inspect the fine speckled pedals and brought it into the warmth.
After a while the flower smelled unpleasantly (it stinks!). Unbelieveable! Consequently it must be indeed a form of C. graveolens!
Thank you, eagle eye!

Armin, I agree with Ibrahim, too. Flavus dissectus style is branched but never so much as on plant pictured by you. So it definitely is graveolens (taking in attention smell).
Janis

[Armin]

Zhirair,
nice C. vernus species and hybrid seedlings.  
Does your C. vernus ssp. vernus set seed and which height does it have?
I have a tiny form (7-8cm height, bought 2007 as heuffelianus 'Uklin Strain'!) in my meadow which resemble yours.
It is a very late flowerer but never set seed. I have doubt it is true specis, maybe hybrid with tommasinianus?
What do you think?

Your crocus is quite similar to my vernus ssp. vernus in appearance. Mine are a bit earlier than large-flowering Dutch hybrids, have the same height as hybrids, but with considerably smaller flowers. I haven been growing it for over 4 years and still haven't seen them producing seeds.
Some pix to show:
crocus vernus Paulus Potter (very distinct purplish magenta colour), considerably differs from other purple-coloured vernus cultivars
crocus vernus 'Violet Vanguard' (sport from 'Vanguard', but not bi-coloured and has lilac shading in colour)

Zhirair,
thank you for your reply on C. vernus ssp. vernus - they are different clones then. But why don't they set seed (sterile hybrids?)?
Paulus Potter is a nice deep magenta cv. - I have it in the garden for the 1st. time too.
The Violet Vanguard is another beauty too. Are the dark streaks on the outer pedals a sign of virus infection or color pigment distortions?
I'm still unsure as this feature can disappear the next season.

Janis,
thank you for your comment. I'll inform my source. It will be a surprise   I guess

[Boyed]

Zhirair,
nice C. vernus species and hybrid seedlings.  
Does your C. vernus ssp. vernus set seed and which height does it have?
I have a tiny form (7-8cm height, bought 2007 as heuffelianus 'Uklin Strain'!) in my meadow which resemble yours.
It is a very late flowerer but never set seed. I have doubt it is true specis, maybe hybrid with tommasinianus?
What do you think?

Your crocus is quite similar to my vernus ssp. vernus in appearance. Mine are a bit earlier than large-flowering Dutch hybrids, have the same height as hybrids, but with considerably smaller flowers. I haven been growing it for over 4 years and still haven't seen them producing seeds.
Some pix to show:
crocus vernus Paulus Potter (very distinct purplish magenta colour), considerably differs from other purple-coloured vernus cultivars
crocus vernus 'Violet Vanguard' (sport from 'Vanguard', but not bi-coloured and has lilac shading in colour)

Zhirair,
thank you for your reply on C. vernus ssp. vernus - they are different clones then. But why don't they set seed (sterile hybrids?)?
Paulus Potter is a nice deep magenta cv. - I have it in the garden for the 1st. time too.
The Violet Vanguard is another beauty too. Are the dark streaks on the outer pedals a sign of virus infection or color pigment distortions?
I'm still unsure as this feature can disappear the next season.

Janis,
thank you for your comment. I'll inform my source. It will be a surprise   I guess

Armin,
The the dark streaks on the outer petals are most probably colour pigment distortions and this feature usually dissapears the following season. First I observed them 2 years ago on my vernus 'Queen of the Blues' , which I have been growing for over 20 years. I was very concerned about this obnormality and even showed the pix on the forum asking for ideas and opinions. But the following year the streaks dissapear.

The most pity thing is that both cultivars are infected with virus mosaic of leaves. I already lost my hopes for getting virus-free crocus vernus cultivars. I only ahve 'Quenn of the Blues', 'Golden Yellow' and 'King of striped virus free.  So I prepared a special place for crocus vernus cultivars, far away from main collection, where I am going to grow them in distant isolation and then raise, so called,  strains by seed propagation. This virus is very sly and mostly shows symptoms after harvesting, shipping and late plating. So the fist year symptoms are visabale, but the following years they usually dissapear and you can observe them again only when putting the plants under the stress.

For example, last year I desided not to trash my infected 'Jeanne d' Ark' and planted the corms in the forest. This year I went to the place where it was planted and to my surprise the plants were in perfect shape, abundantly blooming and showing no signs of virus at all.

[Boyed]

Some pix to show:
crocus vernus Paulus Potter (very distinct purplish magenta colour), considerably differs from other purple-coloured vernus cultivars
crocus vernus 'Violet Vanguard' (sport from 'Vanguard', but not bi-coloured and has lilac shading in colour)

Zhirair, I think I must get some C. vernus, they're lovely.  Paulus Potter is striking rich color, the purple color in the tubes almost all the way to the base.  Do all vernus forms have the strongly white-veined leaves?

Mark,
crocus vernus hybrids are, indeed, very showy and catchy, and can beutify any garden where they grow. Yes, all vernus forms have the strongly white-veined leaves?

And thanks for the wonderful summery and photos on crocus malyi, which appeals to me a lot.

[Armin]

Zhirair,
thanks again for another lesson in virus detection.

Mark,
nice clumps of C. malyi cvs and the comparison.

[Armin]

Category 'amazing crocus'.

First picture shows C. vernus 'Vanguard' flowering in the meadow in spring 2007.

In late summer 2009 I built a new raised bed and was a bit unhappy that I couldn't find the 'Vanguard' corms anymore in my meadow
The meadow got a 25cm-30cm sand-grit-humus mix top layer behind the stone wall.

The surprise: 'Vanguard' pushed a flower from meadow underground through the surface of my raised bed!
The leaves are bleached as you can see - but what a force and power!

In total the crocus corms have grown from min. 30cm deep, maybe a bit more cm. Amazing - isn't it?  
I'm happy and it will get special protection from now (with label)!

[annew]

Well done, brave little crocus! Now you must dig to find it and rescue.

[Lesley Cox]

Digging would involve a major excavation to avoid breaking the stem, unless dug while quite dormant, and that too would take a deep dig. We know that crocus will dig themselves deeper by contactile roots to their preferred depth. Over a year or two, and with their replacement corms, can they haul themselves upwards to achieve the same purpose?