Spring Crocus 2010

[McDonough]

I started this thread "Spring Crocus 2010" to post photos and information on the popular spring crocus.  This year has been the mildest and earliest spring flowering ever, advancing the season for "first bulbs" by two full weeks over the last 10 years, with lots of species and hybrid crocus pushing the season to an extraordinarily early start.  One species that is barely visible one day and all of a sudden after a warn day leaps forward into full flower is Crocus kosaninii.

I received the plant as C. biflorus ssp. pulchricolor, however it is a mistaken ID, the plant illustrated is most likely C. kosaninii.  The first photo shows early anthesis with lots of very small perky flowers, with many more buds coming. It is a bee magnet.

[Todd Boland]

Not familiar with that species...looks partway between a tommie and etruscus.

I'll win the prize for the latest crocus to bloom..I usually have some that make it to late May.  It will be mid-April before my show really begins...most of you will be finished then.

[Hoy]

Here are some of my plants. I am not sure of the names, many cross and self-sow here. We have had a very fine day today, reached the 10C mark! However I was too late home to catch the blooms fully open.

[Todd Boland]

Trond, I think you have, in order, C. etruscus, C. tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant' and C. chrysanthus 'Gypsy Girl'...Mark can probably verify if this is correct.

I have three cultivars open today...C. chrysanthus 'Gypsy Girl' and what I think is C. tommasinianus, although they look surprisingly like Mark's kosaniniii.  The second photo is either C. chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' or 'Romance'

[Todd Boland]

Trond, on second thought, the crocus I ID'ed as 'Gypsy Girl' is more bronzy than mine, so I think it might in fact be 'Fuscotinctus'.

[McDonough]

Trond, I think you have, in order, C. etruscus, C. tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant' and C. chrysanthus 'Gypsy Girl'...Mark can probably verify if this is correct.

Hard to tell until the flowers are open to see stamen and stigma characteristics, so Trond, please post photos again of these same plants if you're able to catch them open.  Regarding C. chrysanthus cultivars, a Scottish Rock Garden Society member created an excellent photographic essay that diagnostically shows various chrysanthus cultivars... I'll find the link and post here.

I have three cultivars open today...C. chrysanthus 'Gypsy Girl' and what I think is C. tommasinianus, although they look surprisingly like Mark's kosaniniii.  The second photo is either C. chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' or 'Romance'

I believe the C. kosaninii has a different disposition... thin narrow tube, small flowers, and a dark tube where the color ascends part way up onto the petals on the outside, although photos of this species from Serbia show lots of variation.  Also note the stamen and stigma differences.

On the C. chrysanthus cultivar, I would go with 'Romance', based on the light yellow flowers with the outer petals near white at the apex, see:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3139.0;attach=112441;image

[McDonough]

However I was too late home to catch the blooms fully open.

This has been my great frustration when I was working, asking myself over and over again: "why do I plant species crocus?", I almost never get to see them open, and invariably on the weekend it'll rain and I can completely miss seeing some species and varieties with open flower some years.  Now that I am home and unemployed, I get to see them (and photograph them) everyday.

[Todd Boland]

I think MY Gypsy Girls are Fuscotinctus as well!  I went back and checked my older pictures and Gypsy Girl has purple stripes with just slight feathering that does not reach to the edge of the sepals.  On Fuscotinctus the feathery is more pronounced and does reach the edge...you can see that on both Tronds and mine.

Mark, pics I've seen of kosaninii show yellow at the base of the tepals on the outside and inside.  Your base looks darker, but as you say, there is variation.

[Todd Boland]

Mark, was that crocus chrysanthus article by Tomas Huber?  I have a copy of photo plates taken by him in an article he wrote but be darned, if I know the original source.  I use his pictures all the time to try and ID my chrysanthus and tommies.

[McDonough]

Mark, was that crocus chrysanthus article by Tomas Huber?  I have a copy of photo plates taken by him in an article he wrote but be darned, if I know the original source.  I use his pictures all the time to try and ID my chrysanthus and tommies.

Actually, he (Mr. Huber) made two of them, each is a multi-page thread... a wonderfully useful work.  I'll refind it and provide links for all; I'm off to watch some TV to unwind for a bit 

[Hoy]

Thanks both of you. I can remember planting cultivars of etruscus and chrysanthus and others too. Regarding 'Ruby Giant' I know I have some of them as well, but I thought they had another deeper color. I have several of  "big" blues (or what you will call those colors) of different hues. I have several small ones (Crocus tommasinianus?) too of colors from white, cream, yellow and blue. Those seem to interbreed. I have planted them in my lawn not bothering to separate cultivars.

[McDonough]

More spring crocus taken between March 19-22, 2010, by far the earliest crocus season ever in my garden!

imperati suaveolens - side view
imperati suaveolens - top view
biflorus ssp. isauricus - full flower, (the 10-petalled flower was nibbled)
angustifolius - with many seedlings, including flowering seedlings
angustifolius form from Jane McGary, with less brown veining than most
angustifolius form from Jane McGary, with etruscus 'Rosalind' behind
etruscus 'Rosalind' with sieberi 'Firefly' behind
etruscus 'Rosalind' top view, with one darker seedling at top.
malyi 'Ballerina'
sieberi 'Firefly'

[Hoy]

Mostly common garden hybrids and seedlings, this was the sight today when I arrived home! I tried to take some close ups but my old camera but the autofocus tricks me. The cereals are residues from bird-feeding.

[McDonough]

Mostly common garden hybrids and seedlings, this was the sight today when I arrived home! I tried to take some close ups but my old camera but the autofocus tricks me. The cereals are residues from bird-feeding.

Wow Trond, that's a lot of Crocus!    Looks like spring is finally happening for you.  What's the identity of your Crocus 12, it's a real beauty with those violet purple goblets and white interior.  Did you plant all these, or are they self seeding?  On the Scottish Rock Garden Society forum, there are a few members that have created bulb lawns, full of crocus, snowdrops, and other spring ephemerals, for amazing spring displays.

[Todd Boland]

The precious few I had open are now buried under 4" of snow