Colchicums autumn 2007

[Joakim B]

Mark the taste is different and I think they are very nice so do not let them make You think otherwise.
Joakim

[tonyg]

That is very true Joakim - each to their own!  I still like the real goblet shaped colchicum best though.  Jarka's goblet would leak at the sides

[Joakim B]

Tony since I think all of them are quite poisonous I rather use a glass my self if I would drink something
Cheeres

edit: All parts of colchium, bulb et all are VERY poisonous

[mark smyth]

Does anyone own Janis' Crocus with the purple band?Is it a normal petal?

[Michael]

Geez what a wonderfull collection of Colchicum! I have googled them recently but i hav'nt found the leaves. Can someone please show me a picture of the leaves?
Thanks!

[Maggi Young]

Hi, Mike, great to have you here!
 Most Colchicum leaves, from the types shown growing out of doors in these pages, have got quite large leaves, mostly plain mid to dark green. Say about 30 cms or more long and up to about 12cms wide... so you see that the leaves can be quite big and some people don't like them because of that, but it is no bigger than say, a hosta!
 Must go off to work now, I'm nearly late already! Speak soon,
 M

[Michael]

Hello Maggi!

Thanks for your reply! The leaves are impressive then!

[mark smyth]

I wouldnt say impressive. Most people hate them. I would liken them to Leeks Allium sp. I dont notice them because I have Galanthus, Narcissus, Iris and lots of other leaves around them

[Paul T]

Wow, what a collection of Colchicum pics.  Some wonderful species I haven't seen before, and some lovely reminders of some of the little beauties I have in my collection as well.  Thanks everyone!!

Mark,

I love the colouration of your harlequin one, but the pinched tips are a little disturbing even for me (who likes the curiousities).  Your tasselated hybrid from the Youngs is just a glorious colour, and that dark #7 in someone else's posting was absolutely amazing!!

Thanks for the pics everyone.  Greatly enjoying them over on this side of the world.

[mark smyth]

Franz showed the wonderful purple one. Maybe we'll get a close up before they go over

[mark smyth]

Colchicum leaves
http://www.coldclimategardening.com/images/colchicum_seed_pods.jpg

[Michael]

The leaves are very nice to my eyes... I dont understand why you dont like them... The only stage that they might be a little unatractive, is when they start to fade out...

[Lesley Cox]

Does anyone own Janis' Crocus with the purple band?Is it a normal petal?

Mark, do you mean the one on the front of his new book? You won't get away with comparing your horrid colchicums to that lovely crocus! If you look at in in the first group of photographs and then again over the page, you'll see that the markings on Crocus heufellianus are absolutely natural to that species and are always there to some degree, as bands or smudging, whether on pale or deeper purple backgrounds, the same as with different forms of C. sieberi. What makes `Carpathian Wonder' so special is the lovely marks on a WHITE ground. Alas, I don't have it, but I think Otto may be growing it in Australia.

[Lesley Cox]

I like the big colchicum leaves too, especially when they're in a place with other bold-leaved plants, like hostas, as Maggi suggests, and en masse. The plain, smoothly rounded glossy greens look great e.g. with the red frilly leaves of modern heuchera hybrids. It's only when they're in a small rock garden area that they can be overwhelming and a darned nuisance. It's all in the placing.

[Kees Jan]

This is Colchicum autumnale in the wild. Photographed September 15th in the wild in NE Belgium on a steep limestone meadow (see photograph of habitat).