Fall blooming bulbs are the tiny treasures of the autumn garden. The Saffron Crocus and Colchicum flowers make their début as the days shorten and the shadows lengthen. These bulbs are planted in late summer to early fall, with their blooming period to follow immediately afterwards. As much as the spring crocus heralds the coming of Spring and the end of winter, the autumn-blooming bulbs announce fall is coming.


Saffron Crocus - Crocus Sativus

Crocus Sativus grows to about four inches tall. These fall bloomers are light purple with yellow stamens and three red stigmas per flower. The bulbs are about ¾ of an inch across and should be planted 2-3 inches deep in September. Saffron crocus should be grown with care in our wet climate, so choose your site carefully in full sun with good drainage (think Mediterranean-like) and add a little bonemeal . Saffron Crocus is the culinary form whose stigma, when harvested, is the much sought-after spice saffron. To harvest your saffron, pick the stigmas mid-morning as soon as the flowers open. Let them dry, then store them in a jar.  

Colchicum The Giant - Single Autumn Crocus

Colchicum flowers are quite a bit bigger than the Saffron Crocus, rising to about eight inches in height. It's important to note that the Colchicum flowers are ornamental only, and the flowers and stamens are poisonous. Colchicum flowers bloom without leaves, leading to the common name Naked Crocus, and they are quite beautiful in their simplicity. Their leaves do not appear until Spring, arising without flowers, but the foliage is an important developmental phase of the bulbs.

Colchicum 'The Giant' has a lovely lavender-pink single flower, and Colchicum 'Waterlily' has a spectacular double violet-pink bloom that does indeed look a lot like a water lily flower. Colchicum is a large bulb measuring 2-3 inches across and should be planted about 3-4 inches deep. It is easy to grow and multiplies quickly.

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Colchicum Waterlily - Double Autumn Crocus

Whichever fall-blooming bulbs you choose, I know that you will enjoy them and consider them the tiny treasures that signal the coming of autumn.

Enjoy!

Shauna Lambeth ©

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