Early crocus

How to recognise it

Habit

Small corm plant 7–10 cm tall, which forms dense groups within a few years.

Leaf

Narrow and grass-like, dark green with a white central stripe; appears with the flowers and dies back in May.

Flower

Slender, 3–4 cm long, pale lilac to purple and silvery lilac outside, with a long white tube. In sun the flower opens into a star, showing an orange stigma and three yellow stamens.

Fruit/Seed

A small capsule that emerges above ground after flowering, with small round seeds.

Corm

A small corm of 1–2 cm with a fibrous tunic.

Look-alikes

The large garden crocus (Crocus vernus) is sturdier, with broader flowers, and flowers a little later. Beware of the poisonous meadow saffron (Colchicum): it flowers in autumn, has six stamens instead of three and produces large, broad leaves in spring.

Flowering: February–March · Pruning: May

Why grow it?

• One of the first flowers of the year: honeybees and bumblebee queens emerging from their winter rest find pollen and nectar in it.
• Naturalises in lawns and under shrubs into large purple carpets, with no work other than mowing a little later.
• Very hardy and reliable; it comes back every year.
• Eaten less by mice and squirrels than the large garden crocuses.
• Ideal for turning a lawn into a flowery meadow in early spring.

Early crocus: where does it grow best?

• In the wild: light deciduous woodland, scrub and grassy slopes in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Hungary and Bulgaria.
• Sun or partial shade, for example in a lawn or under trees and shrubs that only leaf out after flowering.
• Ordinary, well-drained soil; in wet, compacted soil the corms rot.
• Ideal in a lawn that is not mown until May, in a flowery meadow, under a hedge or at the edge of a border.

Goes well with

• Snowdrop: White bells in the same weeks, in the same spot under shrubs.
• Winter aconite: Small yellow flowers with a green ruff, also loved by early bees.
• Glory-of-the-snow: Small blue stars that flower just after the crocus.
• Lenten rose: Large flowers in partial shade, in the same early months.

Early crocus: when and how to plant it?

1. Buy corms from a garden centre or nursery; never dig plants up from the wild.
2. Plant in September–October, as early as possible: the small corms dry out quickly.
3. Plant 5–8 cm deep and 5–10 cm apart, pointed end up, in irregular groups.
4. In a lawn: make holes with a bulb planter, or roll back a piece of turf, place the corms underneath and roll the turf back.
5. Start with at least 50–100 corms: after a few years they self-seed into a carpet.
6. Watering is usually unnecessary: the autumn rain does the rest.

Care

Mowing

Only mow the lawn once the leaves turn yellow, about six weeks after flowering, usually from late April to mid-May.

Feeding

Not needed. A lawn without artificial fertiliser gives the crocuses a better chance.

Water

Not needed; in summer the corms actually need a dry rest.

Letting seed drop

Wait to mow until the seed is ripe: this way the crocus spreads by itself.

Spreading

It also spreads into borders. This is rarely a problem: the plants are small and disappear in summer.

Tip: Plant it in the lawn and do not mow that patch until May: after a few years you will have a purple carpet that spreads by itself year after year.

Pruning and mowing

Pruning months: May.

When: No pruning is needed. Only mow the grass with the crocus leaves from late April to mid-May, once the leaves have yellowed.

How:

• Leave the flowers after flowering: this lets the seed ripen.
• Only mow the lawn when the crocus leaves are yellow: they feed the corm for next year.
• In a border, do not cut off or knot the leaves; let them wither naturally.

Caution: Mowing too early weakens the corms; after a few years the crocuses then disappear.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Self-seeding

The easiest way: let the seed ripen in April–May. Seedlings flower after about three years.

Dividing corms

In June, once the leaves have died back, lift a dense group, separate the corms and replant them straight away or elsewhere in September.

Early crocus: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• The corm roots in autumn; in January–February the leaf tips are already above ground.
• Very hardy: the flowers close in cold weather and withstand frost and snow.
• On sunny days in February the open flowers are an important food source for bees and bumblebees.

Diseases and pests

• Mice and squirrels: They sometimes dig up corms, although they like this species less than the large garden crocus. Plant a little deeper or in a wire basket.
• Birds: Sparrows sometimes peck at the flowers. The damage usually remains limited.
• Mowing too early: This weakens the corms. Wait until the leaves are yellow.
• Closed flowers: In dull or cold weather the flowers stay closed. This is normal: they open in the sun.

Through the year

• January: The first leaf tips appear.
• February: Flowering. Watch the bees and bumblebees on sunny days.
• March: Last flowers. The seed starts to ripen.
• April: Do not mow yet: the leaves feed the corm.
• May: The leaves turn yellow: now you can mow.
• June: Divide dense groups.
• September: Buy and plant corms.
• October: Plant in lawn or border.

Did you know?

• The species is named after Muzio de Tommasini, a botanist and mayor of Trieste in the 19th century.
• It is related to the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), which flowers in autumn; saffron is the dried stigmas of that species.
• The flowers close at night and in bad weather, which keeps the pollen dry.