Crocus January

[ian mcenery]

New year new thread

The sun came out today and these little beauties opened properly. It is a I think a selection of laevigatus which has deep lilac inner shades and a very strong marking on the outers. I think it was from Tony G probably 6 or 7 years ago.

[Armin]

Happy New Year Greetings to all!

Very lovely clump, Ian .
A very good start for the new year

[Gerry Webster]

The sun came out today and these little beauties opened properly. It is a I think a selection of laevigatus which has deep lilac inner shades and a very strong marking on the outers. ...........

Ian - this looks as though it might  be C. laevigatus 'Fontenayi' (or var. fontenayi) which flowers here regularly between Christmas & the New Year.

[ian mcenery]

Gerry I agree it is very much like fontanayi which I also have growing in the garden (though not very well  )


I have checked the label and it says

Crocus    laevigatus – large dark lilac with purple blotch on outers and checking my records I was correct about the source. Perhaps Tony will comment if he is looking? Love these laevigatus such good plants and this is the deepest colour of the ones I grow

[udo]

Ian - this looks as though it might  be C. laevigatus 'Fontenayi' (or var. fontenayi) which flowers here regularly between Christmas & the New Year.

Gerry, i think the plant from Ian is not 'Fontenayi', here is a picture from this cultivar.

[de.da.]

Hi!
I had thought of Cr.minimus `Spring Beauty '!
But what I already know? 
Dani

[Gerry Webster]

Gerry, i think the plant from Ian is not 'Fontenayi', here is a picture from this cultivar.

Dirk - I wonder whether one of us has  the wrong plant? Or seedlings? What I have as 'Fontenayi' is more like Ian's plant than it is like the one you pictured. Unfortunately my camera is out of action at the moment so I can't take a photo.

[udo]

Dirk - I wonder whether one of us has  the wrong plant? Or seedlings? What I have as 'Fontenayi' is more like Ian's plant than it is like the one you pictured. Unfortunately my camera is out of action at the moment so I can't take a photo.

Gerry, I have looked just with Google for pictures of Crocus laevigatus 'Fontenayi'.
Rob Potterton and P.C.Nijssen offer this cultivar and also show the picture in addition.
'Fontenayi' is not so dark outside and has thinner stripes than the form of Ian.

[Thomas Huber]

Gerry, I have the same plant as Dirk as 'Fontenayi'.
Ian's dark laevigatus is another one - I also have it from Tony.
But the dark one is a better grower, so perhaps it has replaced the true 'Fontenayi' in cultivation....?

[Gerry Webster]

Gerry, I have looked just with Google for pictures of Crocus laevigatus 'Fontenayi'.
Rob Potterton and P.C.Nijssen offer this cultivar and also show the picture in addition.
'Fontenayi' is not so dark outside and has thinner stripes than the form of Ian.

Dirk - my plants came from Rob Potterton in 2007, so were probably imported.  I remain puzzled.

Edit:
Thomas - the plant I have is certainly easy to grow &  vigorous

[de.da.]

OK "Spring beauty" is probably totally wrong.
What is the difference between this and laevigatus?
To me they look very similar.

[udo]

OK "Spring beauty" is probably totally wrong.
What is the difference between this and laevigatus?
To me they look very similar.

Daniel, Crocus laevigatus blossoms from the late autumn till the winter, with late plantation also till the spring. Crocus minimus blossoms in general in the spring. In the colouring of the blossom they are quite similar, in the corm tunic one can distinguish them easily. Show sometimes on the website of Tony Goode.

[ian mcenery]

Have checked through my photos for the ones I bought from Rob Potterton some years ago ( I will have to move them as I can't seem to make them flower regularly). Here it is it IS different in that the fontanayi version is lighter in colour and the markings don't appear to be as strong on the outers. Perhaps I should call it improved fontanayi

I show the "fontanayi" below

[de.da.]

 Thanks Dirk!

[Janis Ruksans]

Today melted snow from open field and I went to check plantings. Found only holes and shoots without bulbs... and so bed after bed almost everything, everywhere where I looked...
Janis