Crocus March 2011

[Janis Ruksans]

Mystery with Myddelton Cream was solved. In some way instead of Myddelton Cream, in my planting books this pot was registered as Macedonian Ivory, so Myddelton Cream was deleted from lists. As I'm recommending in my book - each pot has two labels - one inserted deep with full data, another to see the name. So I now know that this one I got from Marcus Harvey (Australia) in 2009. Regardless of travel from "down under" and reverse climate it acclimatized very well and now instead of one corm I have 3 flowering plants and one without flowers. So 'Middleton Cream' made long travel - at first from UK to Australia and now back to Northern hemisphere, only to Latvia. Would be pleased to know - is it still grown in UK? May be someone know more about its origin?

From pictures this case two biflorus group plants - with names which can confuse. Crocus tauricus comes from Crimea on North coast of Black sea and name delivers from ancient name of Crimea - Tauria. On both pictures this sensationally red toned specimen found by me on Tschatir dag Yaila in spring 2009 - well acclimatised regardless of replanting at blooming time, it made first flower in cultivation on second year. Hope it will start increasing, too.
The other one grows on opposite side of Black sea - it is C. biflorus subsp. taurii, named by Taurus mountains. Quite similar to pulchricolor, but having more leaves. Very widespread entering Iran and quite far to South in Turkey. May be will be splitten by researches of M. Kamerlander & Erich Pasche.
Janis

[YT]

What a precious tauricus you found, Janis I'm completely enchanted by its reddish tone!

[art600]

Janis

You keep delighting us with your examples of Crocus variability.  The tauricus is stunning, and the taurii and excellent.

[Janis Ruksans]

Today weather was something cloudy and crocuses didn't opened too widely, so a lot of pictures again.
After that is one of Crocus biflorus adamii forms - it comes from Iran
The first is two albinos of Crocus abantensis - one pure white, another slightly bluish - both collected at Abant Heights.
After that two different forms of Crocus ancyrensis - I mostly like with purple flower tube, but other with creamy is not less beautiful.
Next two are from stock which confused me - I got it as Crocus aerius, but really it is some of biflorus with black connective on anthers, but seem to be too rounded for isauricus. It was reported as collected at Zigana pass but I don't know there such crocus.
Following 3 pictures are from very interesting crocus. Such forms and subspecies are known from W Turkey, but this one comes from Eastern part of Turkey.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

As the first one more picture of red C. tauricus - now with more opened flower
After that two very interesting forms of C. biflorus - note the almost black outer mark and flower tube on LST-109. Both seem from same subspecies and were collected not far one from other. Both has brownish cataphylls and my first opinion was that those stocks are damaged by frost, but now flowers came out. Hope all will be OK.
Another blue biflorus but from location far to East and with silvery cataphylls.
Then few chrysanthus - the first with black anthers. Not very good composed picture but well shows black anthers
Following is cv. 'Black Fire' sent me last autumn by Rik. Corm was small and I didn't suppose its blooming, but it flowers. Nice!
Next is chrysanthus with black stigma. Very beautiful with large flowers from Gembos Yaila. Unfortunately this spring I don't like my 'Sunspot' stock. Flowers didn't look perfect. I pollinated everyone flower of it but will keep it separately from other crocuses. I'm afraid that it got common problem of crocuses grown in large commercial nursery in thousands and more numbers
From traditional chrysanthus - here form with lilac tube
and as last - 'Myddelton Cream' with open flowers.
Janis

[Maggi Young]

So 'Myddelton Cream' made long travel - at first from UK to Australia and now back to Northern hemisphere, only to Latvia. Would be pleased to know - is it still grown in UK? May be someone know more about its origin?

Janis, some information about Crocus 'Myddelton Cream' ---- although the reference for this bulb is spelled as Middleton in the AGS Index, it is referred to in the report of the award  of a P.C.to the plant in 2001 as 'Myddelton Cream', which, since the plant originated from E.A. Bowles at Myddleton House, seems likely to be the correct spelling.

The plant was given to Alan Edwards by Ray Cobb who had been given the  bulbs directly from E.A. Bowles in 1954.  Bowles writes of his aquisition of the plant in his book "My Garden in Spring"

There is this info and more in the AGS bulletin of December 2001, Volume 69, pages 510 to 511 plus a photo by Alan Edwards of C. 'Myddelton Cream'

[Janis Ruksans]

Many thanks, Maggie. I'm not growing many cultivars, but this one looks so special and its traveling to Australia and back - makes nice story.

Now few more pictures in last for today entry:
The first is C. biflorus subsp. crewei - traditional form, received from Jim Archibald last autumn
Then one of European species - Crocus dalmaticus,
Follows three color forms of C. danfordiae - flowers of it are extremely small but very nice in pots, especially when planted densely
Wild Crocus flavus subsp. flavus, collected in NW Turkey (Asiatic part)
and as the last ones - different color forms of Crocus hittiticus - with lilac base color, and two whites - with dotted (speckled) back of petals and nicely striped.
Janis

[Maren]

Wonderful pictures, Janis, I keep coming back to them. Thank you.

[Janis Ruksans]

Today is very cold and wet. Strong wind and all the day snow changes to rain and back. Prefair to sit at fireplace with glass of wine, instead of going to greenhouse. So only few entries with pictures maid one-two days ago
At first very nice Crocus biflorus subsp. ionopharynx. Not very typical sample, but indeed beautiful.
After that follows several pictures of hybrids between biflorus isauricus and chrysanthus (pict. 4 & 5 and pict. 6 & 7 are from same plant - from side and from top)
Picture 8 - overall view of those hybrids
On last picture = various stocks of C. biflorus subsp. isauricus
Janis

[art600]

Janis

Were the isauricus x chrysanthus crosses made by you and did you do it both ways, hence the different colours?

[Janis Ruksans]

Usually Central Asian species belongs to the earliest crocuses. This season they are early, but no so as usually and few stocks still didn't started blooming. Now I'm showing Crocus korolkowii cultivars. The first is white form received from Czech Republic. Next id Snow Leopard from John Grimshaw (I have another Snow Leopard from Holland - it's back color is closer to Albus). Names of cultivars are below pictures. Mostly tried to show back's of petals, only from one of my last selections - Orange Glow are both - side and top view. This seedling surprised me by very deep orange color competing with best of chrysanthus.
On last picture you can see me watching my crocuses (picture made by my wife Guna)
Janis


Crocus korolkowii Alba -02.JPG
Crocus korolkowii Snow Leopard -06.JPG
Crocus korolkowii Dark Throat -09.JPG
Crocus korolkowii Mountains Glory -08.JPG
Crocus korolkowii Spring Cocktail -01.JPG
Crocus korolkowii Yellow Tiger -07.JPG
Crocus korolkowii Orange Glow -04.JPG
Crocus korolkowii Orange Glow -05.JPG
Watching crocuses.JPG

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis

Were the isauricus x chrysanthus crosses made by you and did you do it both ways, hence the different colours?

No, they all are natural hybrids from Gembos Yaila in Turkey - most likely there met C. isauricus and chrysanthus with identical chromosome numbers. I saw many places where met chrysanthus and biflorus but in only very few localities I found somre rare hybrid. On Gembos just the opposite - difficult to find plants which would look as pure species.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry I will start with Crocus x paulinae - natural hybrid between Crocus ancyrensis and abantensis (successfully repeated by myself in nursery, too). On the first picture is this plant in wild, on second - the same in my nursery. Here it seem darker than in nature, may be for the season. It seem that several crocuses this spring are brighter than usually, may be for very cold winter.
After that two pictures showing variability of Spanish Crocus nevadensis.
And as the last ones - two hybrids between C. reticulatus and angustifolius selected by Leonid Bondarenko from Lithuania - C. x leonidii 'Nida' and 'Ego'.

Just got call from one of my Lithuanian friends - he lost this winter all his crocuses, no one left in outside garden and in greenhouses - remained only white roots. All corms are eaten by rodents. I don't know what will be in my garden - our problem was very deep snow falling on unfrozen soil, which remained such all the winter - so rodents had great fest...

Janis

[Hoy]

Once upon a time when I was much younger and knew less I decided to collect all Crocus available. At that time it was feasible, no internet, no mail order possibilities - at last I didn't know about it - and few cultivars in the nurseries. In a way that was a good time!
When I see all the beautiful unimaginable color forms Janis shows I get overwhelmed! But I like it! Don't stop, Janis

Here's my first this spring - nothing to boast of but still - spring is coming   Is it vernus or tomasinianus struggling with old leaf?

[annew]

Janis, Your crocus are wonderful - the hybrids are very interesting, but my favourite is the white and purple nevadensis.But I am puzzled by the name, crocuses from Nevada??