FALL CROCUS Crocus pulchellus
An autumn-flowering perennial corm, the leaves appearing after the flowers. The flowers are silvery lilac-blue, with darker veining, and a deep yellow throat. It can be grown in meadows or grass, in sun or part shade.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Type: Hardy perennial
Height: 4-5", 10-12 cm
Location: Sun or part shade
Hardiness zones: 3-8
Note: Ornamental use only. These seeds and/or plants may be poisonous.
Seeds per pack: 3
Germination: As with many perennials, these seeds require a period of moist cold to help them grow. This is done by giving them a cold 'winter' period (artificial or natural), and then a warming to simulate 'spring', and time to grow! Here's how this can be done:
Obtain a planting container that has holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Place the seeds just under the surface of your growing medium, and water. Place your container in a cold area (but not freezing, perhaps a refrigerator) for 6-8 weeks. Once the cold period is completed, place the container at room temperature for them to germinate. Be sure to keep the soil moist during this entire germination period. Seedlings will sprout a few weeks, or occasionally several months, after the warming period.
Alternatively, these seeds can also be planted outdoors in fall or winter, while temperatures are cold (but ground is workable) to germinate naturally in spring. Be sure to mark the area where you planted them, and that the soil is consistently moist. Patience is needed, but they are well worth the wait!
