Crocus 2014

Four forms of Crocus cyprius from the Troodos Mountains, Cyprus

Looks to be some lovely Crocus there Tony, however I couldn't enlarge the pictures.

I have changed the second post which is now working but I am afraid when I tried to change the first one it was classed as spam and it was refused.

Nice to see some crocuses in flower! Mine are still only in leaf (outside). Difficult to walk on the lawn though with all the plants starting to show.

I'm not sure what's going on with this crazy system. 

In your first post, Tony, as a moderator all I did was delete your inserted pics from the text box, and then re-inserted them.

Now they work!

Rick

thank you that is what I did but then it would not let me update my post,never mind, here are a couple more in flower now.

Crocus sieberi from Mt Parnon Greece

Crocus biflorus ssp alexandri from Mt Falackro Greece

Tony, you show such exquisite Crocus, I can identify my favorites among the ones you show as nevadensis and cyprius, wonderful variability on the latter.

Mark

thank you,the cyprius are one of my favorites.

Here are a couple more in flower

Crocus pelistericus  

Crocus x gothenburgensis , a cross between C.pelistericus and C. scardicus. This particular one seems very close to C. scardicus.

. 

I like the colour of that gothenburgensis. How is the inside?

A couple more Crocus x gotoburgensis. The inside is pretty much like the outside,the markings show through.

They are pretty!

Do you know how they perform outside?

You're really showing us some unique, rare, and very special Crocus sp. Tony. Cheers! Beautifully grown as always, 

My thoughts ( for what they are worth ) Trond, are that to succeed in the outside in the garden Crocus x gotoburgensis will need a cool,  very free draining, perpetually moist site !!! Given its parents ( C. pelistericus and C. scardicus ) the skill seems to be providing an environment that is moist enough to satisfy the bulbs needs, while not been too wet to cause rot ( which I understand is the main cause of failure amongst potential growers). Many Some, maybe only a few, people do grow both parents ( usually C. pelistericus ) outside in their gardens though, so it is by no means too ( !!!! ) difficult. 

Edit - Strike "Many", to remove exaggeration, 

Ron an excellent description of the growing conditions however I have yet to meet anybody that does grow either  it or its parents outside. My conditions seem to suit them ideally 

here is a Crocus sieberi from Mt.  Parnassus in Greece.

Thank you both.

Maybe I should  try it outside then, my climate is cool and moist and not very cold in winter either!

Although the plants you have shown Tony are well worth growing in pots and admiring on close range I can't have too many pots around.

That sieberi isn't bad either!

Another stunning C. sieberi Tony. A unique specimen??

I'd be fascinated to know if your conditions suited C. pelistericus and C. scardicus ( and so maybe C x gotoburgensis ) Trond.  I fear that your main problem may be getting hold of bulbs or seed in the first place!!. I'm sure that those that show the flowering adults on various websites have managed them for many years

I looked up both species at the AGS site and according to the description there (cold winters with snow cover etc) the climate at my mountain cabin seems to suite them better! Here at home the winters are usually not cold except for a few days and we get a lot of rain too.

Anyway I'll look for seeds/corms!

Ron

I think it is a particularly fine one (they all are!!)  Nothing beats seeing them by the thousand in the wild though.

Trond 

I produce some seed of pelistericus each year and so you are welcome to some of it. i understand it is not possible to send corms to Norway.

I would love to have some seed, thank you!

I can bring home 3kg bulbs etc without soil from Europe when traveling so a few in a letter shouldn't be problematic. Live plants need a phytosanitary certificate though.

[quote=Tony Willis]

Nothing beats seeing them by the thousand in the wild though.

[/quote]

That must be an amazing experience Tony? When would you recommend the best time to see this, given the vagaries of the weather each year? Are they all identical to this on Mt. Parnassus or was this a special selection? C.sieberi is certainly a most beautiful Crocus sp. in all of its forms! 

Ron

I always go the first two weeks in May which has been an ideal time for seeing a lot of different plants. naturally it means missing the early species but  timing is always a compromise.

The  Crocus sieberi on Parnassus are very variable as they are in all their sites. It is a very common plant on the higher mountains and occurs in large numbers when suited. A large area around the ski resort on Parnassus has now been bulldozed and turned into car parks during the economic boom. The area is now the site of many unfinished houses and other failed developments, unsightly,but this has had little effect on the plant populations which  cover many miles of mountainside.

Two pictures of small areas of hillside to illustrate how dense the plants can be. Both are on Kymachalana but the C. sieberi could have been taken in any locations.

Thank you for the information and wonderful illustrations Tony.

Nothing so spectacular as those you show here, but a few from the garden today.

'Blue Pearl', 'Cream Beauty', 'Tricolor' and 'Prince Claus'.

Spring crocuses are always welcome - they don't have to be rare or special to be of interest!

Some autumn flowering crocus in bloom here,

Crocus asumaniae - from seed from NARGS Seedex

Crocus serotinus ssp salzmannii seed from Rafa D. in Spain

Crocus pulchellus growing through a mat of Haplopappus coronipifolius (syn glutinosus)

cheers

fermi

Just common varieties here... Nice to finally see some colour, nonetheless.

Crocus chrysantha 'Advance'; C. sieberi 'Tricolor'; etc..:

Crocus Group News

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Crocus robertianus AH 8957

Bob

Crocus hadriaticus 'Purple Heart', and C. cartwrightianus 'Halloween', with fallen leaves of Craetagus ambigua.

Bob

Crocus mathewi

Crocus cartwrightianus 'Marcel'.

Bob

Crocus kotschyanus HKEP9205.

Bob

Crocus asumaniae JP 88.45, and Crocus boryi.

My leaf-blower broke so I guess I'll have to rake by hand, which I prefer in any case.

Bob

Great collection!  The dark eye on C. mathewi makes it especially stunning!

Thanks; I seem to notice a distinct change in the weather patterns here, with frost holding off for quite a while (in exchange for awful summer weather...I estimate 275 thunderstorms, plus a tornado, passed over or by our neighborhood this year), hence all the crocus in bloom, instead of frozen. 

Crocus speciosus has seeded itself all over the garden, but when I go to take a picture of one, it's fallen over. 

Bob

Crocus niveus AH.0166 

Flowers a little over 6cm wide.....

Bob