Krokus Standardsorte

Season Overview

Description

The crocus genus (Crocus) belongs to the iris family (Iridaceae). Around 90 species are known, plus numerous subspecies and hybrids created by crossing different species. Natural habitats include rocky slopes, evergreen oak scrub and coniferous forests. Crocus chrysanthus, Crocus tommasinianus, Crocus siberi and Crocus vernus play an important role in garden culture. These species are spring-flowering, while the magnificent autumn crocus (Crocus speciosus) is a species that flowers in the fall. The saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) is also an autumn bloomer - its orange thread-like pistils are harvested, dried and have been traded as saffron for thousands of years. Saffron threads are among the most expensive spices in the world. In addition to cultivation areas in Iran and Afghanistan, saffron is also grown in Spain, France, Italy and Austria. Appearance and growth Crocuses are often mistakenly classified as bulbous plants. However, they have a so-called stem bulb, which is a thickened part of the stem that grows underground. This bulb is an annual, but one or more new daughter bulbs form each spring. The old tuber then dies. Narrow, basal leaves, which resemble blades of grass, sprout from the tubers. Depending on the species, the plants grow between 5 and 15 centimetres tall. Crocuses are divided into the spring-flowering group, the large-flowered hybrids and the fall-flowering group. The first group blooms in early spring from February to March, with the large-flowered hybrids occasionally flowering as late as April. Autumn crocuses usually bloom from September to October. The predominant flower colors are purple, yellow and white, and there are also bicolored varieties. The species that flower in spring are important forage plants for bees and bumblebees, which mainly collect the protein- and vitamin-rich pollen. Important species and varieties The large genus of crocuses can be divided into three groups: the early-flowering botanical crocuses, the large-flowered hybrids (often simply called garden crocuses) and the autumn-flowering crocuses. The early-flowering botanical crocuses are characterized by more delicate flowers, which often appear in late winter. Even a blanket of snow and frosty temperatures do not prevent these crocuses from pushing their buds out of the ground. The group of early-flowering crocuses includes, for example, the elfin crocus, the spring crocus and the small crocus. Numerous varieties of these are available. One specialty, however, is 'Orange Monarch', a relatively new variety of the small crocus, as the dark orange-yellow of the flowers is very unusual for crocuses. From March, they are joined by the larger garden crocuses, whose color palette ranges from white to yellow to purple; the 'Pickwick' variety is even striped. In addition to the crocus hybrids, this group also includes the golden crocus, which produces several bright yellow flowers per bulb in March/April. There is now a large selection of large-flowered hybrids, such as 'Haarlem Gem' with light purple flowers, the white-flowered 'Jeanne d'Arc' or 'Queen of the Blues', whose violet-blue flowers have a silvery shimmer. From around September, the autumn-flowering crocuses make their grand entrance. Three species in particular are common here: the violet-blue 'Pracht' crocus, the saffron crocus and the ringed autumn crocus (Crocus kotschyanus). The 'Albus' (white) and 'Conqueror' (sky blue with dark veins) varieties are popular.

Growing tips

Location and soil

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Dark germinator

Germination temperature

10 - 15 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

10 cm

Row spacing

10 cm

Seeding depth

8 cm