Delicate spring flower crocus: details of care and cultivation. Crocus plant - photo and types of flower, care, reproduction, cultivation Crocuses in landscape design

Crocus is the Latin name for an ornamental perennial that has taken root along with saffron. A plant with a bright palette of colors is popular in gardening and is grown in greenhouses and at home using the forcing method. In nature, crocuses inhabited the center and south of Europe and the Caucasus. Crimea, most Asia. Some species are endangered and are therefore listed in the Red Books of European countries. Low and medium-sized crops with narrow leaves and goblet-shaped flowers decorate the landscape of city parks and private areas in early spring and in autumn.

Botanical description and distribution

The scientific name of the herbaceous, bulbous plant is saffron; from the photo, many people know it as a crocus. The culture belongs to the Iris or Iris family. The genus saffron has more than 80 species. The flower will grow from a bulb with a diameter of up to 3 cm. It can be spherical or flattened in shape. The outside of the bulb is covered with brown or reddish scales. A fibrous root is formed in its lower part. There is no aboveground stem, the leaves are narrow, linear, and rigid. From below they are covered with vaginal scales. Green foliage may appear before or after flowering. In many species, the basal leaves have a light longitudinal stripe.

Saffron is often called crocus

Information. Saffron is one of the oldest cultivated plants. It was known in Ancient Egypt several thousand years BC. e. Appeared in Europe in the 10th century. thanks to the Arabs. Latin word"crocus" means thread and is associated with elongated pistils. The Arabic name “saffron” is translated as yellow, it is associated with the coloring ability of the flower.

Flowers emerge one or two at a time from the corm itself. They are located on a leafless peduncle 7-25 cm long. The size of the flower in different species ranges from 3 to 8 cm. The bud has 6 petals, blooming only in clear sunny weather. On a cloudy day, the buds are closed, but this does not diminish their beauty. A blooming crocus flower looks like a cup or a star. The stamens of the plant are attached to the pharynx of the perianth; the style (part of the pistil) has three stigmas that serve to catch pollen. Stigma is the most valuable part of the plant; when dried, it is a food coloring, medical raw material and the famous spice - saffron.

The flower has three stigmas, which are used as a spice.

Information. Saffron sativum is cultivated to collect stigmas. The plant is sterile because it was obtained by crossing several species.

Based on the color of flowers, natural species are divided into two groups: yellow-flowered (color from light yellow to orange) and blue-flowered (violet, lilac, blue). Cultivated varieties are more varied in color; two-colored specimens have been bred. In terms of popularity in gardening, crocuses are second only to tulips and daffodils.

Saffron - uses of the plant

Dried saffron stigmas have long been used as a spice with a specific aroma and bitter taste. Today, 90% of the crop is grown in Iran. The spice is used in cooking for preparing rice, peas, and soups. It indicates a preservative effect, keeping the dish fresh for several days.

Information. In ancient times, saffron was valued more than gold and 15 times more expensive than black pepper. And not surprisingly, to prepare 1 kg of stigmas, it was necessary to manually process 200 thousand flowers.

Dried saffron stigmas are of great value

Saffron stigmas are used in medicine. Compositions based on them have antispasmodic and stimulating effects. In folk recipes, dried stigmas are used as an analgesic and diuretic. They increase appetite. Medical properties are manifested thanks to chemical composition plants. The following was found in the stigmas:

essential oil;
gum;
vitamins;
crocin dye;
fatty oil;
flavonoids.

The stigmas contain a coloring substance used in Food Industry. The natural compound crocin allows you to give a yellow tint to cheeses, liqueurs, dough, and soft drinks.

Varieties of crocuses

Numerous photos of crocuses prove their importance decorative use in the design of gardens and home interiors. It is one of the first crops to bloom in spring. open ground. All types of crocuses are divided into 15 broad groups, 14 of which include plants that bloom in spring, autumn varieties collected in one group.

Spring flowering (April-May)

At the beginning of spring, without waiting for the snow to completely melt, crocuses bloom in the garden. In open ground they are grown in flower beds, lawns, and alpine hills. Already in April, the primrose opens cup-shaped buds on a short peduncle. Leaves may appear after flowering. They are narrow, green in color, and may have a light stripe in the middle. A month after the flower a seed pod appears on the surface.

Spring crocus (Crocus Vernus) is a herbaceous plant 15-17 cm high. The flower is funnel-shaped, white or lilac color, anther yellow. The mother bulb is renewed annually. 1-2 flowers grow from it. Most often, Dutch hybrids are planted in gardens. In total, about 50 varieties of the crop are registered. Based on color, they are divided into three groups: white, mesh and plain (lilac, violet and others). Flowering lasts a little more than two weeks.

Spring crocus

Among the common varieties:

"Remeberance" - large flowers with a diameter of more than 5 cm of a purple hue with a silvery sheen;
"Pickwick" - petals are rounded, light lilac with gray veins;
"Snowstor" - round flowers with a diameter of 5 cm, snow-white with purple stripes at the base;
"Nigro Boy" is a dark purple flower with a purple base, characterized by late blooming - in May.

Golden-flowered crocus (Crocus chrysanthus) – height up to 20 cm. The leaves are narrow, appear in early April along with yellow flowers. The bulb is spherical, slightly flattened. The perianth lobes bend outward.

Golden-flowered crocus

There are varieties:

Snowbunting - with white petals and a golden center;
Blue pearl - blue with yellow bases;
Lady killer - purple on the outside and white on the inside;
Blue Bonnet 0 blue petals with yellow spot in the throat.

Heyfel's Crocus (Crocus heuffelianus) is named after the Hungarian botanist J. Heyfel. This species is common in the Carpathians. Plant height is 10-19 cm, the corm is round. The leaves are linear with curled edges. There is a silver stripe in the center. The petals are purple, less often white. Darker on the outside. Flowering period – 25 days.

Heifel's Crocus

Net saffron (Crocus reticulatus) is a rare species listed in the Red Book. Found in Central and Eastern Europe, Crimea, Transcaucasia. Height 15 cm, bulb spherical. The leaves become significantly longer after flowering. The color is white or purple, with purple stripes on the outside of the petals.

Saffron net

Tomasini saffron (Crocus tomasinianus) - one of the earliest spring varieties. The plant is unpretentious and thrives in shaded areas. The height of the crocus is 7-8 cm, the diameter of the flower is 2-4 cm, this is one of the most miniature species. The color of the petals is lilac, purple, white. It grows easily in any conditions and is often found in parks.

Saffron Tomasini

“Lilac beauty” - purple petals;
“Ruby Giant” - large star-shaped flowers have a purple-violet color;
"Roseus" - soft pink and white petals.

Autumn-blooming (September-October)

A large group of decorative crocus blooms in the fall, like the last chord of a fading garden. Autumn crocuses are low and compact; they are used in border plantings along paths. Bright flowers look great at the base of trees and shrubs. Saffron, which blooms in September, adorns the rocky alpine hills. Often the crop is grown in pots and flowerpots. Flowers decorate the entrance area, window sills, and terrace in picturesque groups. Among the autumn species:

Beautiful crocus (Crocus speciosus) is one of the largest autumn crocuses. Its leaves reach 30 cm, the diameter of the flowers is 7-8 cm. The color is lilac, purple with dark veins. The petals are symmetrical with pointed tips. Flowering continues for a month. The number of leaves is 2-4, length is up to 40 cm. The stigmas contain a dye.

The appearance of the flower fully justifies its name

Garden forms:

Albrus - white petals;
Artabir - a variety with blue inflorescences and purple veins;
Oxinan – distinguished by pointed petals, slightly bent back, color – purple.

Saffron (Crocus sativus) is a plant that is not found in the wild and is propagated by humans. It is cultivated for its stigmas, which are used as a popular spice. The height of the herbaceous plant is 12-30 cm. The bulb is spherical with fibrous roots. Fragrant large flowers come in white, purple and yellow. They consist of 6 folding petals. The stigmas are long, red, hanging between the petals.

This species cannot be found in the wild

Pallas saffron (Crocus pallasii) - narrow green leaves emerge from the ground in April, and flowering does not begin until September. Spectacular buds up to 5 cm in diameter, light purple in color with purple veins. Stigmas are yellow. It grows naturally in Transcaucasia.

Pallas saffron

Hill or valley crocus (Crocuse vallicola) is a miniature plant 6-12 cm. It grows in Asia Minor and Transcaucasia in mountain meadows. The corm is flat, covered with a fibrous shell. The leaves appear in the spring and dry out by summer. The petals are white, the stigmas are short and orange.

Crocus hill

Banat crocus (Crocus banaticus) is a large species that grows in deciduous forests and meadows of Eastern Europe. Height 15-30 cm, leaves are thin, flowers are pale lilac or purple. Each bulb produces up to two flowers. The three inner petals are significantly smaller than the three outer ones. The plant was first described in 1831 by the French scientist J. E. Ge. Crocus is listed in the Red Book in Serbia and Ukraine.

Crocus banatiiGrowing crocuses

Regardless of the flowering time, decorative saffron is grown using the same technology. A sunny place with loose, well-drained soil is chosen for it. The soil should be fertile, neutral, structured with an admixture of sand. The composition of the soil can be improved by adding compost and humus before planting. Per sq. m will require 15 kg of compost and 100 g of superphosphates, providing abundant flowering. Plants overwinter in the ground.

Attention. Saffron is grown in one place for 4-6 years.

Landing

Crocus or saffron, blooming in spring, are planted in the fall, and autumn varieties are planted in late summer. Before planting, the bulbs are inspected, choosing only healthy material. Autumn flowers are planted in groups of 5, at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other. In light soil they are buried to a depth twice the height of the bulb. After a few years, each bulb produces many children, the flowers form a continuous carpet, but due to crowding, the size of the buds decreases. It is recommended to plant the plants in other areas.

Saffron is a corm plant

Care

Saffron requires minimal care: watering, loosening the soil and weeding. There is no need to moisten flowers often; weather conditions must be taken into account. Excess moisture is a fertile environment for fungal infections. After flowering, faded leaves and flowers are cut off, the bulbs are left in the ground or dug up for drying and sorting.

Reproduction

The best way to propagate crocuses is by daughter bulbs. They are dug up and dried for 2-3 months in a well-ventilated area at room temperature. Then they clean off old roots and exfoliated scales. Spoiled copies are immediately thrown away. You can propagate saffron by seeds, but this method does not always preserve varietal characteristics and delays the flowering time by 2-3 years. Autumn crocus is a plant that does not always have time to produce a ripe seed pod before the onset of cold weather.

Over time, crocuses grow in large families

The saffron flower is insect-pollinated or self-pollinating. Its fruit grows and ripens underground, and is thrown to the surface already formed, ready to open. Seeds of spring-flowering varieties are planted in the ground in the fall or in spring in containers for seedlings.

Growing crocuses does not create difficulties or problems with care, and the bright blooms will be a wonderful accent of the garden.

Moscow, Russia, on the website from 01/11/2017

The genus of crocuses or saffrons is quite numerous, it includes about 80 species, about half of them are used in decorative floriculture. Both natural forms and varieties and hybrids created by breeders are grown in gardens. The classification of natural species is quite complex and has changed several times over the past 200 years. It is now common to divide the genus into two subgenera, Crocus and Crociris, based on the structure of the bulb and the presence or absence of an involucre at the base of the flower frog.

The subgenus Crociris contains the only species crocus banat(C. banaticus), 10-14 cm tall, with funnel-shaped perianths, the color of which varies from light lilac to dark purple. This flower, which blooms in September, grows wild in Romania, is considered rare, but the easiest to cultivate, and has an unusual shape reminiscent of irises. Its internal rounded segments are half as long as the pointed external ones; the yellow anthers contrast effectively with the dissected pale purple stigmas.

The subgenus Crocus includes all other species, which are conventionally divided into 15 groups or series, differing in the structure of the corm shells. Not all of them are of interest for decorative floriculture; some consist of one or 2-3 rather rare wild varieties that are not used in cultivation.

Mostly plants belonging to the following groups are grown in gardens:

crocus (crocus) (sown and Pallas);

Kochi (kotchschyani) (K. Sharoyan and Valley);

return (verni) (to spring and Tomasini);

biflori (golden and two-flowered);

speciosi (k. beautiful);

flavi (k.yellow);

reticulati (K. Zibera);

orientales (k. Korolkova).

Based on the time of flowering, spring and autumn crocuses are distinguished, and since yellow and blue petals are usually not found simultaneously within natural species, they are divided into yellow-flowered and blue-flowered based on color. The exception is the golden crocus; perhaps in this case the blue-flowered forms are of hybrid origin. White specimens are less common in nature and are more common in blue-flowered species.

Crocus flower in the photo

Varieties of crocuses are very numerous; currently about 300 of them are registered in the world. Below are descriptions and photos of the types of crocuses most often used in cultivation, as well as the most popular varieties and hybrids recommended for cultivation in our country.

Crocus blue, blue and white may bloom in autumn

Blue crocus flower in the photo

They bloom in September-October, are found in our gardens less often than spring ones, however, they are less demanding on lighting, resistant to diseases and very decorative. In central Russia it is recommended to grow:

Beautiful crocus(C. speciosus), the most popular and largest-flowered species, with blue-violet, adorned with darker or purple veins, fragrant flowers up to 12 cm in diameter. They bloom in September on leafless peduncles reaching 12-18 cm, and bloom during month. Leaves, 20-30 cm long, 0.6 -1.3 cm wide, appear from the ground in spring and die off by early July. In nature, the plant is found in the Balkans, Asia Minor, as well as in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

There are many garden forms various colors, among which are:

blue crocus Cassiope

lilac Artabir

white Albus

light purple Pallux.

Crocus sativa(C. sativus), cultivated throughout the world on an industrial scale, its flowers are used as the spice “saffron”. The plant is 10-30 cm high with narrow, only a few millimeters wide, erect leaves covered with cilia and curved at the ends. Light purple or white flowers bloom on shortened flower shoots, have a 6-petal corolla and a 10-15 mm long tube, and have a pleasant violet scent. Unlike the previous species, leaves appear along with flowers or immediately after them, mass flowering lasts one to two weeks, and each individual flower lives for about three days. India is considered to be the birthplace of the species, however, the plant currently grown is a hybrid, the result of natural crossing of several ancient varieties of the crop.

Crocus Pallas(C. pallasii), less common in gardens, low-growing, no higher than 5-6 cm, with single pale purple flowers pink tint flowers that have a purple base, veins of the same color and strongly bent edges of the perianth. The diameter of the corolla is up to 4.5 cm. It blooms in September and blooms for 30 days; narrow linear leaves about 20 cm long appear in April. It grows wild in Asia Minor, the Balkans, and former USSR- in Crimea.

Even more rarely in gardens you can find bright orange blossoming at the end of summer. Crocus Sharoyan(C. scharojanii), a Caucasian species with bare leaves up to 20 cm long, up to 1.3 cm wide, sometimes remaining until the next flowering.

AND white valley crocus(C. vallicola), blooming in August or early September. The latter's leaves appear in early April and are completely dry at the beginning of June.

Yellow and red crocus blooms more often in spring

They bloom in spring, from early April to May, and in countries with warmer climates at the end of winter (February).

There are two groups:

botanical crocuses(C. botanical), including small-flowered natural forms and varieties.

And grandiflora(C. largeflowering), Dutch hybrids obtained from the spring crocus.

From botanical species in the gardens middle zone grow:

Golden crocus(C. chrysanthus), up to 20 cm high, with narrow leaves appearing along with flowers that bloom in April and bloom for about 15-20 days. The natural appearance is golden yellow, with shiny outside and curved perianth lobes, often having darker stripes and streaks in the outer part of the base. There are many differently colored varieties, including hybrids obtained with the participation of other species, in particular the two-flowered crocus.

Hybrids of the Chrysanthus group, unlike the Dutch ones, are smaller in size, bloom earlier, and are multi-flowered - several buds appear simultaneously from one bulb.

Popular varieties:

Princess Biatrix, blue with yellow base

White White triumphant

cream Beauty cream

light yellow Mammut

purple with golden throat Violet Queen.

There are a number of forms in which the petals have contrasting colors, with stripes and various strokes:

Nanette, with large cream flowers decorated with purple markings on the outside.

Lady Killer, snow-white inside, lilac-purple outside with light streaks, etc.

Below are a few more photos of crocus varieties from the Chrysanthus group:

Crocus Ruby Giant in the photo

Crocus Zwanenburg Bronze in the photo

Crocus Prince Clause in the photo

Crocus Princess Beatrix in the photo

Crocus two-flowered or Scottish(C. biflorus), grows naturally in the south and southwest of Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. The natural species has red or purple petals and yellow stigmas, unusual for crocuses.

There are variegated varieties:

Alexandri, very decorative, dark purple on the outside with a narrow white edge, snow-white on the inside.

Parkinsonia, with the outer petals straw-yellow, the inner petals white with small blue splashes, the inside snow-white with an orange center.

There are monochromatic cultivars, for example:

pure white Albus

Fairy bluish tint.

Crocus yellow(C. flavus Weston), a plant native to the mountainous regions of the Balkans and Asia Minor, grows up to 20 cm, has linear, ciliated leaves about 10 cm long and short (5-8 cm) peduncles with large golden-orange flowers. The diameter of the perianth reaches 7 cm, and the length of the tube is 8 cm. It blooms for 20 days in early spring (April).

The well-known variety Largest Yellow is distinguished by even larger, flat, dark yellow, cup-shaped flowers than the natural species, decorated with dark stripes on the outside.

Crocus Tomasini

Crocus Tomasini or Neapolitan(C. tomasinianus) – one of the most unpretentious spring primroses, found wild in the Balkans, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Adapts well to any conditions, can grow in relatively shaded places without special care. Blooms in early April, natural forms have perianths of pink-lilac tones, 3-5 cm in diameter, with a whitish core.

The following varieties are common in decorative floriculture:

Ruby Giant, a dark purple-red crocus with large flowers.

Lilac Lilac Beauty

Whitewell Purple, dark purple-purple with a mauve center.

Crocus Sibera

Crocus Sibera(C. sieberi), quite rare for our gardens and at the same time one of the most beautiful ornamental species. The plant comes from the mountainous regions of Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, is 8-10 cm high, and is distinguished by its original three-color color. In natural specimens, the petals can range from light pink to deep purple, the center is usually yellow with bright orange pistils.

Garden forms are especially attractive:

Bowlesis White, a pure white variety with a bright orange throat;

Atticus, a bright blue crocus with a yellow-orange center;

Tricolor, a cultivar with petals dark purple above, lighter below, and a bright yellow throat.

Crocus Korolkova

Crocus Korolkova(C. korolkowii Maw ex Regel), low, up to 6 cm, Central Asian species with bright orange flowers, covered with red stripes on the outside, there are varieties Russian selection, in particular, Kiss of Spring, Glory to Samarkand, Tiger.

Spring crocus(C. vernus), the most common spring-flowering species in cultivation, grows naturally in high-mountain meadows in the Pyrenees and Alps. In nature it has single purple or purple flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. This variety has served as the material for the creation of numerous hybrid varieties that are widely grown throughout the world, which are usually classified as a separate group of large-flowered crocuses or Dutch hybrids.

Crocus Vanguard and Flower Record

Varieties belonging to the group of large-flowered Dutch hybrids are unpretentious, distinguished by especially large flower sizes, on average 2 times larger than natural species, and their goblet shape. The height of the plants reaches 15 cm, thin long leaves appear after the flowers, the bulbs are covered with brown fibrous skin.

The first cultivar was created in 1897, since then constant work has been carried out to create new hybrids, with the participation of both spring and yellow crocus. More than 50 varieties are known with flowers of various sizes and colors, both plain and variegated. Among them there are white, yellow, lilac, blue, purple, purple-red crocuses.

Photos and descriptions of some of the most common varieties in our country are presented below:

Joan of Arc(Joan Of Arc), white, with large (up to 5 cm) flowers growing in 3-5 pieces. from one onion.

Yellow Mammoth(Yellow Mammoth), yellow-flowered, 10-15 cm high;

Vangart(Vanguard), a crocus of a light bluish-lilac color, 10-15 cm high, up to 4.5 cm in diameter.

Nigro Boy(Negro Boy), a hybrid with goblet-shaped perianths measuring 4-5 cm, deep lilac-lilac with a dark purple base.

Flower Record(Flower Record), a lilac-purple crocus, great for forcing.

Remembrance(Remembrance), with dark purple flowers that are goblet-shaped and point upward.

All Dutch varieties bloom for a long time, up to 20 days, but differ significantly in the timing of the onset of flowering.

The earliest ones, for example:

crocus Vangart, bloom in April;

late (Nigro Boy) - at the end of May, which allows you to have flowering specimens in the garden from early spring to early summer.

One of the very first flowers to bloom in spring is the crocus, or saffron. It belongs to the iris family (Iridaceae). This is a genus of perennial corms native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia.

Natural growing conditions explain their “love” for rocky, sandy, loose soils and sunny areas. Dr. David Hession, in his book All About Bulbs, called the crocus one of the "magnificent four" along with the tulip, daffodil and hyacinth.

Crocus is a monocotyledonous plant; its narrow elongated leaves with a lighter stripe in the middle resemble the leaves of cereals. The flower consists of six oval-shaped perianth lobes.

Nutrients are stored in the corm, and after flowering and drying of the leaves, 1-3 replacement corms and small daughter corms are formed. The peduncle appears on the surface of the earth earlier or simultaneously with the leaves.

The genus Crocus has about 80 species, not all of which bloom in spring. For example, the beautiful crocus (C. speciosus), Pallas crocus (C. pallasii), and hill crocus (C. vallicola) bloom in September. Although the state of dormancy in the summer months is a common property of all species.

The areas of application of this plant are very diverse. It is a dye, a seasoning, and a medicine, and in the modern world it is a valuable forcing and potting crop, as well as an indispensable component for landscaping.

In the 16th century, crocus (C. sativus) appeared in Europe, although interest in it as a ornamental plant arose later, with the entry of three more species into European gardens: narrow-leaved crocus (C. angustifolius), yellow crocus (C. flavus) and spring crocus (C. vernus). It is to these species that we owe the appearance of the groups of Dutch hybrids (or large-flowered) and the group of Chrysanthus varieties.

The first variety of crocus was registered in 1897; to date, there are more than 200 of them. You will certainly be pleased not only by the wide range of colors, both uniform and plain, and mesh or striped, but also by the variety of varieties - for the most demanding taste.

The varieties also differ in their large stamens and pistils of yellow or orange color of varying degrees of saturation.

Types and varieties of crocus

Saturnus

A beautiful variety with wide-open flat flowers, about 3.5 cm in diameter, with oval lobes. The color is creamy yellow with a dark yellow throat. Outside, at the base of the lobes there is a small brown-green spot, and on the lobes of the outer circle there are thick lilac streaks.

The pistil is slightly longer than the stamens, the anthers are light yellow, sterile, the stigmas are orange-red. Medium flowering period.

Grand Maitre

Spring crocus (C. vernus)

A variety with large beautiful goblet-shaped flowers with a diameter of about 4 cm, with oval lobes. The color of the lobes is deep purple, with a large dark purple spot on the outside at the base. The apices of the lobes of the outer circle are slightly pointed.

The tube is dark purple, up to 6 cm long. The pistil and stamens are quite large, located at the same height. The anthers are bright yellow. Flowering late.

BluePearl

Golden crocus (C. chrysanthus)

The flowers are cup-shaped, medium in size, about 2 cm in diameter. The variety is distinguished by the presence of aroma. The color of the lobes is white with a soft blue tint. The base color is deep yellow. On the outside, the lobes may have rare blue-violet streaks of varying saturation.

The pistil is large, located above the stamens, the anthers are cream colored. The variety is characterized by early flowering.

Pickwick

Spring crocus (C. vernus)

Leaves appear before flowers. The flowers are very large, 4 cm high and 5-6 cm in diameter. Their shape is goblet-shaped. The color of the lobes is heterogeneous, the lobes are white with a delicate lilac shade, have dark purple, almost violet, stripes (strokes).

Spots of rich dark purple color are visible at the base. The stamens are large, bright yellow. Flowering occurs late.

MammothYellow

Spring crocus (C. vernus)

A characteristic feature of this variety is that it is the largest of the crocuses with a yellow color. The diameter of the flower is 2.5 cm, and its height can be up to 3.5 cm. The flowers are wide open and flat in shape.

The color of the lobes is light yellow, becoming richly golden under the rays of the spring sun. The base of the lobes is darker. This variety blooms late.

LadyKiller

Golden crocus (C. chrysanthus)

The flower is medium-sized, 3.5 cm high, up to 3 cm in diameter. The shape of the flower is cup-shaped, almost flat. The inner lobes are pure white, the outer lobes are pale lilac with a white border along the edge. At the base there are small gray-blue spots.

Anthers yellow, sterile. The pistil rises above the stamens. Flowering occurs early. The variety has a light pleasant aroma.

KingofStriped

Spring crocus (C. vernus)

Leaves appear before flowers. The flowers are 3.5-4 cm high, reach about 4 cm in diameter, goblet-shaped, with almost rounded lobes. Their coloring is reticulate. The outer lobes are white and lilac, the inner ones have lilac stripes.

At the base of the lobes there is a large, clearly visible light purple spot. The anthers and stigmas are bright yellow. Flowering late.

Romance

Golden crocus (C. chrysanthus)

The flowers are cup-shaped, almost flat, small, about 3 cm in diameter, with oval lobes. The color of the lobes is delicate, creamy yellow, the outer lobes are a pleasant cream color. There is a small spot on the outside at the base of the lobes.

The tube is grayish-cream, about 3 cm long. The pistil is longer than the stamens. The anthers are creamy. Leaves with a central white stripe along their entire length. Medium flowering variety.

Purpureus Grandiflorus

Spring crocus (C. vernus)

Leaves appear before flowers. The flowers are large, goblet-shaped, and can reach 5 cm in diameter. The color of the perianth lobes is bright purple, slightly darkening at the ends. At the base of the outer lobes it is visible by a large blurred dark spot.

The large bright yellow fringed stigmas of the pistil protrude significantly above the bright yellow stamens. Flowering occurs late.

SnowBunting

Golden crocus (C. chrysanthus)

The variety was bred in 1926. The flowers are medium in size and have a noticeable aroma. The predominant color of the lobes is white. The color of the base of the internal lobes is bronze-yellow. Large dark bronze stripes are visible on the outside.

The pistil is massive, rising above the medium-sized yellow stamens. The variety is very effective when the flowers are fully opened in bright sun. Blooms early.

Flower Record

Spring crocus (C. vernus)

In this variety, the leaves appear before the flowers. The flowers are goblet-shaped, large, up to 4.5 cm in diameter, tube up to 4.5 cm long. The oval lobes have pointed tips. The color of the lobes is dark purple with a violet tint.

At the base of the lobes there is a small blurred purple spot. The bright yellow stigmas of the pistil are located above the yellow stamens. Flowering late.

GipsyGirl

Golden crocus (C. chrysanthus)

The plant is 7 - 10 cm high. The flower shape is cup-shaped, opening wide. The flower is medium-sized, up to 3.5 cm in diameter. The color of the internal lobes is light yellow with a dark yellow base; the outer lobes are lighter, creamy yellow with clear, wide dark purple, brownish strokes.

The dark red stigmas of the pistil rise above the dark yellow stamens. The variety is distinguished by early flowering.

Crocuses in landscape design

Crocuses bloom in late April - early May. They are cold-resistant, can withstand frosts down to -5 - 7°C. Flowering duration is 10 - 15 days. To increase the flowering period, it is recommended to select varieties different periods: early, middle, late.

Once every 4 - 5 years, the curtains are planted for rejuvenation; annual replanting is not required. Corms are planted in September at a distance of at least 7 cm from each other.

Now there are many species of crocuses on sale. When purchasing such corms, you should take into account that the diameter of the flower will be smaller, the colors will not be as varied as possible, and earlier flowering can lead to the death of the plant due to inconsistency with the natural or weather conditions of the region.

However, the undoubted advantages of species crocuses are relative unpretentiousness and early flowering (with favorable conditions), they will also be of interest to collectors.

Crocuses and other early-flowering bulbs are indispensable for creating spring color in the garden. They look good in group plantings with botanical tulips, low-growing daffodils, hyacinths, muscari, galanthus, scylla, and primroses.

Beautiful combinations are formed by clumps of crocuses against the background of ground cover perennial species or a growing lawn. When growing on a lawn, remember that crocus leaves cannot be removed until they are completely dry, as this will affect the lawn mowing.

Groups consisting only of crocuses of nuanced or contrasting colors, which are later replaced by annual flowers, look good. Crocuses are often used for planting in gravel gardens, rock gardens and rock gardens.

These plants are for open ground, but they are also used for forcing and as pot culture. If you have blooming crocuses on your window and you want to extend their life by planting them in the ground, you should follow simple recommendations.

The simplest thing is if the plant bloomed in the spring. Then a green, possibly still blooming crocus with an earthen lump can be transferred to the soil already at the end of May - June. If flowering plant was acquired earlier, then after flowering you should gradually reduce watering, and after yellowing of the leaves, water extremely rarely.

The pot with the dried stem must be moved to a dry, dark place until September. Such a corm can be planted in the ground without a clod of soil. In both cases, flowering should be expected no earlier than after a season - due to severe depletion of the corm. They are not suitable for re-forcing.

Ksenia Kruglova

Perennial crocus plants delight gardeners at the same time as snowdrops - they are one of the first to appear on islands of land freed from snow, and bloom for about a month. The entire species diversity of crocuses is divided into 15 large groups. The first of them is given to autumn varieties. All other 14 groups of crocuses are spring flowers with narrow linear leaves and petals of various shades.

What crocuses look like and photos of flowers

Crocuses (saffron) are the earliest flowering of the Kasatikov family. The genus Crocus has about 20 species. Wild crocuses can be found in alpine meadows, in the mountains, on rocky screes of the Crimea, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Mediterranean and in central Europe. Most crocuses bloom in the spring, but there are also fall-blooming species.

Multi-colored crocuses, appearing in snowy patches along with snowdrops and scylla, bring spring to the garden and tell us - it’s the end of winter, it’s time to move into the garden. And although many gardeners prefer to live in the city, the blooming of crocuses marks the beginning of the summer season.

What do crocuses look like and what kind? distinctive feature have flowers of all kinds?

A characteristic feature of crocuses is the absence of an aboveground stem. The inflorescences are quite large, directed upward. According to the description, crocus flowers at the moment of blooming resemble glasses or funnels, each has six petals, they come straight from the corm. Blooming flowers may be star-shaped or cup-shaped.

Look at the photo to see what crocuses look like - the colors of the flowers of these plants are very diverse:

There are flowers with white, lilac, lilac, violet, yellow, orange, and pink petals. There are no pure red ones.

In the center of each flower there is always a bright orange pistil glowing. The leaves are narrow-linear, usually with a longitudinal white stripe. U spring crocuses leaves appear during or after flowering, the seed pod emerges on the surface of the earth a month after flowering.

Here you can see photos of crocus flowers of various types:

How to grow crocus flowers

How to grow crocuses in your garden? It is preferable to choose a sunny place for planting, although the plants tolerate shading in the afternoon. Another important condition for planting crocuses is loose, well-drained soil. Sandy loam soil with a neutral reaction is optimal. Plants can't stand it fresh manure. Crocuses are grown in one place for 4-6 years. For full development, plants need sufficient amounts of mineral and organic fertilizers. Before planting, the soil needs to be well-dressed: 15 kg of well-rotted manure or compost and 100-150 g of superphosphate are added per 1 m2. Spring-flowering varieties and species are planted in September. The bulbs are planted to a depth of 8-10 cm at a distance of 5-15 cm.

They are unpretentious in culture. After planting, when caring for crocuses, water the plants only as needed. Fertilizing is carried out immediately after the snow melts mineral fertilizer with a reduced dose of nitrogen, and at the end of flowering only with superphosphate. Digging of bulbs begins in the second half of July, when seed pods emerge to the surface of the soil, indicating the end of the growing season.

The dug up corms are dried in the shade for several days, then cleaned of soil, roots, leaves and old mother bulbs. Continue drying in a ventilated area at a temperature of 18-20 °C. 1-2 weeks before planting, the temperature is reduced to 10 °C.

In early spring, as soon as the snow melts, the crocus blooms - a flower whose second name is saffron.

This bulbous plant of the Iris family is native to the tropics, but also thrives in harsher climates.

Delicate, exquisite flowers appear almost the very first in sunny areas freed from snow.

But they bloom not only in spring, but also in autumn. Caring for crocuses does not require any special skills.

This plant is suitable for those gardeners who live outside the city and have the opportunity to admire its early flowering. After all, it blooms for a very short time - no more than 7 - 10 days.

In such a short period of time, it can be difficult for city dwellers to get out to their dachas in order to catch the saffrons blooming. Crocuses that do not require planting and care in open ground special effort, are an unpretentious and disease-resistant crop.

In early spring, the plant does not need the care of gardeners. However, a number of agricultural technology features will have to be observed, otherwise flowering may not occur.

Saffron prefers sunny places, protected from cold winds if possible. Growing crocuses comes down to choosing the right planting location.

The more illuminated area provided to the plant, the larger the flowers will be.

The plant prefers fertile soil with a neutral reaction. Light loams are best suited for them, but crocuses can tolerate heavier soils. The main thing is that there is no stagnation of moisture.

Crocus propagation

The culture is most often propagated by daughter bulbs. They are formed from dormant buds, which are present in the axils of the scales covering the crocus bulbs.

The vegetative propagation method is the most preferable, since it preserves all varietal characteristics.

Young bulbs grow annually near the old mother plant. Depending on the variety, their number can vary from 1 to 10 pieces. Daughter corms bloom after a season.

Seeds can also be used to grow crocuses in open ground. But this method is much more labor-intensive.

It is more often used by professional flower growers when breeding new varieties and hybrids, as well as for propagating rare varieties and obtaining a large number of bulbs at the same time.

Flowers from plants grown by seed can only be expected after 4 - 5 years.

Rules for planting crocuses in open ground

The best period for planting spring-flowering varieties is August-September. In the time remaining before the onset of cold weather, the bulbs will have time to take root.

But sometimes, when the weather is warm and dry, planting crocuses in the fall is acceptable even in early November.

Autumn-flowering varieties are planted from early July to early August.

Bulbs are planted according to the following rules:

large specimens are embedded in the soil to a depth of 12 cm;
medium bulbs deepen by 4 - 6 cm;
small bulbs - no deeper than 2 - 3 cm;
the distance between individual corms should not be less than 3 cm (it is better to leave about 10-15 cm, since plantings thicken quickly).

Crocus bulbs have the ability to go deep into the soil on their own, forming retracting roots. Therefore, it is not necessary to strictly observe the embedment depth.

Seed material (from seeds prepared at the beginning of summer) is sown directly into the ground in the fall. During the winter months, the seeds undergo natural stratification; in the spring their germination will be better.

Forcing crocuses

Crocuses, like many bulbous plants, are often grown indoors using the forcing method. It is quite easy to get a flowering plant by the desired date (Christmas, March 8, etc.).

It is necessary to select bulbs of the same variety and approximately the same size, since they will bloom at the same time and the stems will be the same height. The larger the onion, the larger the crocus flower and the sooner it will bloom.

Approximately 3 - 4 months before the expected date, the bulbs are planted in wide bowls with a soft, loose and permeable substrate so that they do not touch the walls of the container or each other.

Then the pots with crocuses should be stored in a room with a temperature of +5...+8°C. This could be a cellar, basement or even a refrigerator.

Within 8 - 10 weeks, rooting occurs and sprouts appear. When they reach a height of 4 - 6 cm, the pots are brought into a cool room with a temperature of about +10...+15°C and shaded with paper caps.

After 5 - 7 days, the covering can be removed and the crocuses can be placed on the windowsill in a warm room. How better lighting, the larger the flowers.

If the room is too warm, the crocuses will quickly fade. To prolong flowering, the temperature should be maintained no higher than +15…+20°C.

After 2 - 3 weeks, the flower stalks will fall off, and the leaves will wither and gradually dry out. After the foliage has completely withered, the bulbs can be removed from the ground and, after allowing them to rest for 2 months, they can be planted again.

How to care for crocuses

Caring for these bulbous plants involves choosing a good planting site, timely weeding, loosening, regular watering, etc.

Choosing a place for landing and transfer

The place intended for crocuses should be as sunny as possible. In heavily shaded areas, flowering will be weak.

If crocuses are planted and replanted in soil that is too heavy and does not absorb water well, then the soil must be drained.

To do this, you need to add fine expanded clay or coarse river sand to the soil and dig it well. Excess and stagnation of moisture has an extremely negative effect on plants.

It is advisable to fence the area with a low fence or decorative curb stone so as not to forget this place.

The fact is that when the foliage dries completely, the bulbs are quite difficult to find. Moreover, over time they go deep into the ground.

Fertilizer and feeding

There is no need to fertilize crocus corms immediately after planting them in well-prepared soil.

However, if the bulbs are not dug up, the soil is gradually depleted, and mineral potassium-phosphorus fertilizers will be required.

Phosphorus has a positive effect on flowering, there will be more buds and they will be larger. Potassium helps the formation of healthy and large bulbs.

Nitrogen fertilizers have a detrimental effect on crocuses, as they can provoke the development of fungal diseases.

During the growing season, the crop is fed 3 times:

When the first shoots appear, a potassium-phosphorus complex is added in a 1:2 ratio. The granules are simply scattered over the snow that has not yet melted.
During the mass ejection of buds - in a 1:1 ratio.
At the end of flowering - in a 1:1 ratio.

Crocuses do not tolerate fresh organic matter, but the use of humus and peat is allowed.

Watering

During the period of active growth, plants require a lot of moisture. But, since crocuses bloom early in the spring, nature itself takes care of this, providing the plantings with melted snow water.

There is no need to water them, because the crop is quite drought-resistant. In the future, watering is carried out only when the top layer of soil dries and as needed.

Why don't crocuses bloom?

The reason for the lack of flowering is often improper care of the crop. The reasons may be the following:

Long-term cultivation of crocuses in one place. The corms grow too much, become smaller, they become crowded, and they stop blooming.
The foliage was trimmed ahead of time after flowering, or the bulbs were dug up before the leaves completely dried out. The plant does not have time to gain enough nutrients.
The bulbs are planted too deeply or have sunk deep into the ground (if they are not replanted for a long time), and they do not have enough strength to flower.
Depleted soil.

Diseases and pests

With proper care, crocuses rarely get sick or are damaged by insects. If there are errors in maintenance, they can be affected by fungal infections: gray and white rot (sclerotial), fusarium.

All affected material must be destroyed, and for prevention purposes, the corms are soaked for 20 minutes in a fungicidal solution.

It is necessary to carefully select planting material and when digging, try not to accidentally damage the bulbs. Damaged areas are treated with crushed ash.

Plants are occasionally damaged by wireworms (larvae of click beetles).

To collect pests, traps are set up from tufts of wet grass, hay or straw laid out around the area, covered with boards.

After a few days, the traps with crawled larvae are burned. With excessive moisture, slugs may appear on the crop, which are simply collected by hand.

Crocus bulbs are often attacked by hares, mice and other rodents.

Caring for crocuses after flowering

Crocuses fade quickly, but the leaves remain green for some time. Peduncles can be cut off as soon as the flowers fade, if you do not plan to collect seeds.

The foliage is not touched until completely dry. At this time, a renewal bud is laid and formed inside the bulb. If you cut the leaves ahead of time, this process will be disrupted.

If this is not required yet, then the flowers are left in the ground without any care. It is also necessary to dig up crocuses after flowering if they plan to plant them in another place in the fall.

The bulbs are removed from the ground, dried in a shaded place, and cleaned of remaining soil, scales and old roots.

Sick and damaged specimens are rejected. Healthy bulbs are stored until autumn at a temperature of +18...+ 22°C in a regularly ventilated area.

Spring-flowering varieties of crocus are dug up from about the second half of June to mid-August.

Plants that bloom in autumn should be removed from the soil between the end of May and the end of July, since their vegetative cycle is different and the dormant period begins earlier.

It must be remembered that all manipulations with corms (digging, planting) are best done when they are at rest.

Wintering crocuses

During the winter months, crocus bulbs remain in the ground; they can easily withstand frosts down to -20°C.

In regions with more severe climatic conditions It is recommended to cover them with spruce branches, branches or dry leaves.

The best varieties of crocuses

Many varieties and varieties of crocus have been bred. Hybrids with large flowers are especially popular.

Some of them will be discussed below:

Albus. snow white flower up to 7 cm in diameter, with a creamy center. Blooms in September - October.
Artabir. The plant is up to 18 cm high, with large (about 12 cm) sky-blue flowers. Autumn blossom.
Pickwick. The flowers are about 4 - 6 cm in size, light purple in color with purple stripes, with large yellow stamens. It blooms quite late in the spring.
Grand Mater. The flowers are goblet-shaped, up to 4 cm in size, the petals are a rich dark purple color and pointed at the top. Spring flowering variety.
Saturnus. Flat, wide-open, creamy-yellow flowers with bright orange stigmas, up to 3.5 cm in girth. A hybrid that blooms in spring.
Marietta. Spring Flower lemon or light yellow in color, the oval petals are mottled on the outside with thin stripes of a dark brown hue.
Blue Pearl. Small (about 2 cm) delicate white-bluish flowers with a yellow center. Blooms early in spring.

The crocus saffron itself, from the stamens of which the spice is made, is called sativus. It belongs to the autumn-flowering varieties.

Or saffron is quite numerous, includes about 80 species, about half of them are used in decorative floriculture. Both natural forms and varieties and hybrids created by breeders are grown in gardens. The classification of natural species is quite complex and has changed several times over the past 200 years. It is now common to divide the genus into two subgenera, Crocus and Crociris, based on the structure of the bulb and the presence or absence of an involucre at the base of the flower frog.

The subgenus Crociris contains the only species crocus banat (C. banaticus), 10-14 cm tall, with funnel-shaped perianths, the color of which varies from light lilac to dark purple. This flower, which blooms in September, grows wild in Romania, is considered rare, but the easiest to cultivate, and has an unusual shape reminiscent of irises. Its internal rounded segments are half as long as the pointed external ones; the yellow anthers contrast effectively with the dissected pale purple stigmas.

The subgenus includes all other species, which are conventionally divided into 15 groups or series, differing in the structure of the corm shells. Not all of them are of interest; some consist of one or 2-3 rather rare wild varieties that are not used in culture.

Mostly plants belonging to the following groups are grown in gardens:

crocus (crocus) (sown and Pallas);

Kochi (kotchschyani) (K. Sharoyan and Valley);

return (verni) (to spring and Tomasini);

biflori (golden and two-flowered);

speciosi (k. beautiful);

flavi (k.yellow);

reticulati (K. Zibera);

orientales (k. Korolkova).

Crocus flower in the photo

Crocus blue, blue and white may bloom in autumn

Blue crocus flower in the photo

Beautiful crocus (C. speciosus), the most popular and largest-flowered species, with blue-violet, adorned with darker or purple veins, fragrant flowers up to 12 cm in diameter. They bloom in September on leafless peduncles reaching 12-18 cm, and bloom for a month. Leaves, 20-30 cm long, 0.6 -1.3 cm wide, appear from the ground in spring and die off by early July. In nature, the plant is found in the Balkans, Asia Minor, as well as in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

There are many garden forms of different colors, among which are:

blue crocus Cassiope

lilac Artabir

white Albus

light purple Pallux.

Crocus sativa (C. sativus), is cultivated around the world on an industrial scale; it is its flowers that are used as the spice “saffron”. The plant is 10-30 cm high with narrow, only a few millimeters wide, erect leaves covered with cilia and curved at the ends. Light purple or white flowers bloom on shortened flower shoots, have a 6-petal corolla and a 10-15 mm long tube, and have a pleasant violet scent. Unlike the previous species, leaves appear along with flowers or immediately after them, mass flowering lasts one to two weeks, and each individual flower lives for about three days. India is considered to be the birthplace of the species, however, the plant currently grown is a hybrid, the result of natural crossing of several ancient varieties of the crop.

Crocus Pallas (C. pallasii), less common in gardens, low-growing, no higher than 5-6 cm, with single pale purple flowers with a pink tint, having a purple base, veins of the same color and strongly bent perianth edges. The diameter of the corolla is up to 4.5 cm. It blooms in September and blooms for 30 days; narrow linear leaves about 20 cm long appear in April. It grows wild in Asia Minor, the Balkans, and in the territory of the former USSR - in the Crimea.

Even more rarely in gardens you can find bright orange blossoming at the end of summer. Crocus Sharoyan (C. scharojanii), a Caucasian species with bare leaves up to 20 cm long, up to 1.3 cm wide, sometimes remaining until the next flowering.

AND white valley crocus (C. vallicola), blooming in August or early September. The latter's leaves appear in early April and are completely dry at the beginning of June.

Yellow and red crocus blooms more often in spring

They bloom in spring, from early April to May, and in countries with warmer climates at the end of winter (February).

There are two groups:

botanical crocuses (C. botanical), including small-flowered natural forms and varieties.

And grandiflora (C. largeflowering), Dutch hybrids obtained from the spring crocus.

Of the botanical species in the gardens of the middle zone, the following are grown:

Golden crocus (C. chrysanthus), up to 20 cm high, with narrow leaves appearing along with flowers that bloom in April and bloom for about 15-20 days. The natural appearance is golden yellow, with shiny outside and curved perianth lobes, often having darker stripes and streaks in the outer part of the base. There are many differently colored varieties, including hybrids obtained with the participation of other species, in particular the two-flowered crocus.

Hybrids of the Chrysanthus group, unlike the Dutch ones, are smaller in size, bloom earlier, and are multi-flowered - several buds appear simultaneously from one bulb.

Popular varieties:

Princess Biatrix, blue with yellow base

White White triumphant

cream Beauty cream

light yellow Mammut

purple with golden throat Violet Queen.

There are a number of forms in which the petals have contrasting colors, with stripes and various strokes:

Nanette, with large cream flowers decorated with purple markings on the outside.

Lady Killer, snow-white inside, lilac-purple outside with light streaks, etc.

Below are a few more photos of crocus varieties from the Chrysanthus group:

Crocus Ruby Giant in the photo

Crocus Zwanenburg Bronze in the photo

Crocus Prince Clause in the photo

Crocus Princess Beatrix in the photo

Crocus two-flowered or Scottish (C. biflorus), grows naturally in the south and southwest of Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. The natural species has red or purple petals and yellow stigmas, unusual for crocuses.

There are variegated varieties:

Alexandri, very decorative, dark purple on the outside with a narrow white edge, snow-white on the inside.

Parkinsonia, with the outer petals straw-yellow, the inner petals white with small blue splashes, the inside snow-white with an orange center.

There are monochromatic cultivars, for example:

pure white Albus

Fairy bluish tint.

Crocus yellow (C. flavus Weston), a plant native to the mountainous regions of the Balkans and Asia Minor, grows up to 20 cm, has linear, ciliated leaves about 10 cm long and short (5-8 cm) peduncles with large golden-orange flowers. The diameter of the perianth reaches 7 cm, and the length of the tube is 8 cm. It blooms for 20 days in early spring (April).

The well-known variety Largest Yellow is distinguished by even larger, flat, dark yellow, cup-shaped flowers than the natural species, decorated with dark stripes on the outside.

Crocus Tomasini

Crocus Tomasini or Neapolitan (C. tomasinianus)- one of the most unpretentious spring primroses, found wild in the Balkans, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Adapts well to any conditions and can grow in relatively shaded areas without special care. Blooms in early April, natural forms have perianths of pink-lilac tones, 3-5 cm in diameter, with a whitish core.

The following varieties are common in decorative floriculture:

Ruby Giant, a dark purple-red crocus with large flowers.

Lilac Lilac Beauty

Whitewell Purple, dark purple-purple with a mauve center.

Crocus Sibera

Crocus Sibera (C. sieberi), quite rare for our gardens and at the same time one of the most beautiful decorative species. The plant comes from the mountainous regions of Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, is 8-10 cm high, and is distinguished by its original three-color color. In natural specimens, the petals can range from light pink to deep purple, the center is usually yellow with bright orange pistils.

Garden forms are especially attractive:

Bowlesis White, a pure white variety with a bright orange throat;

Atticus, a bright blue crocus with a yellow-orange center;

Tricolor, a cultivar with petals dark purple above, lighter below, and a bright yellow throat.

Crocus Korolkova

Crocus Korolkova (C. korolkowii Maw ex Regel), low, up to 6 cm, Central Asian species with bright orange flowers, covered with red stripes on the outside, there are varieties of Russian selection, in particular, Kiss of Spring, Glory to Samarkand, Tiger.

Spring crocus (C. vernus), the most common spring-flowering species in cultivation, growing naturally in high-mountain meadows in the Pyrenees and Alps. In nature, it has single lilac or violet flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm. This variety has served as the material for the creation of numerous hybrid varieties that are widely grown throughout the world, which are usually classified as a separate group of large-flowered crocuses or Dutch hybrids.

Crocus Vanguard and Flower Record

Photos and descriptions of some of the most common varieties in our country are presented below:

Joan of Arc (Joan Of Arc), white, with large (up to 5 cm) flowers growing in 3-5 pieces. from one onion.

Yellow Mammoth (Yellow Mammoth), yellow-flowered, 10-15 cm high;

Vangart (Vanguard), a crocus of a light bluish-lilac color, 10-15 cm high, up to 4.5 cm in diameter.

Nigro Boy (Negro Boy), a hybrid with goblet-shaped perianths measuring 4-5 cm, deep lilac-lilac with a dark purple base.

Flower Record (Flower Record), a lilac-purple crocus, great for forcing.

Remembrance (Remembrance), with dark purple flowers that are goblet-shaped and point upward.

All Dutch varieties bloom for a long time, up to 20 days, but differ significantly in the timing of the onset of flowering.

The earliest ones, for example:

crocus Vangart, bloom in April;

late (Nigro Boy) - at the end of May, which allows you to have flowering specimens in the garden from early spring to early summer.

Crocus flowers– multi-colored flowers of an ornamental corm plant. Crocus is a representative of the Kasatikov family. Scientists call the Mediterranean and the countries of Central Asia the homeland of the plant; crocuses have also been found in the wild in Eastern Europe. Crocus is a low-growing plant with narrow leaves and goblet-shaped flowers (see photo). The color of crocus petals can be very different; the bud inside has brightly colored stamens. Crocuses are also called the first harbingers of spring, because they bloom very early, at a time when other flowers are just beginning to emerge after the winter cold.

The plant got its name from the word “kroke”, which translated from ancient Greek means “thread”. This name is very suitable for the plant, since the dried stigmas resemble fiber. The name of the seasoning and the second name of crocuses “saffron” is similar to the Arabic word “zepheran”, which translates as “yellow”. The stigmas of the plant are, indeed, painted bright yellow. In ancient times, saffron was used to dye fabric in ocher tones; clothes for kings were made from such fabric. In China, only the emperor himself had the right to use saffron dye. Saffron has been known for a very long time; mention of it was found in Egyptian papyri. Even before our era, crocus flowers were used to produce incense, medicines, seasonings

Saffron for culinary purposes is grown in Spain. The plant is also cultivated in India and Iran, where the cheapest saffron is produced. During Soviet times, crocuses were grown in Crimea and Azerbaijan. In order to get 1 kg of saffron, you need to collect about 30 thousand flowers. In addition, flowers are collected exclusively by hand, which significantly increases the cost of seasoning production. Of course, you can grow crocuses and collect the stigmas yourself to get the most expensive seasoning in the world for free, but knowledgeable people It is not recommended to do this, since the plant can be confused with the poisonous autumn colchicum.

Growing: planting and care

You can grow crocuses on a windowsill or in the garden. As indoor plants crocuses are planted in fertile soil with good drainage; for this purpose, you can add a little gravel or river sand to the pot. At home, crocuses are grown at a temperature of +18 degrees Celsius; in winter it will be enough to maintain a temperature of +10 degrees Celsius. Crocuses love sunlight very much; if there is insufficient lighting, the plant will not be able to bloom. The best place for crocuses - a well-lit windowsill.

Crocuses reproduce by daughter bulbs, which usually take root well. With proper care, planted bulbs will bloom within the second or third year. If you want to get a flowering plant for the Christmas holidays, then you should start planting crocuses in September.

In the garden, crocuses will look best next to trees and shrubs; these flowers look very attractive among herbs.

Medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of crocuses are quite varied. Saffron is used to care for dry skin. Saffron pulp is applied to cleansed skin. This mask makes the skin healthy, saturates it with vitamins and minerals, and evens out skin tone. Saffron is suitable for all skin types, seasoning can be poured with herbal decoctions to increase the effectiveness of this procedure.

Saffron is famous for its rich composition; it contains manganese, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, selenium, copper, as well as B vitamins. All these microelements are very important for maintaining vital important processes in organism. Iron is necessary for the circulatory system, it is involved in the transfer of oxygen. With iron deficiency, vulnerability of the mucous membranes of the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and respiratory tract is observed. A common cause of dermatitis, eczema, and skin problems is iron deficiency in the body.

Crocuses are effective with suppuration, they accelerate the maturation of the abscess and the healing of the skin. Some scientists believe that saffron helps restore vision in old age. The seasoning rejuvenates the visual cells, which helps them function better. Crocuses are very beneficial for women's health; they normalize the menstrual cycle and increase sexual desire.

Use in cooking

In cooking, crocus flowers are used to produce an expensive seasoning called saffron. Saffron is actually nothing more than crushed crocus stigmas. To obtain seasoning it is necessary to process a large number of colors. Real saffron looks like threads of red-brown color; 1 gram of this seasoning costs at least 1 dollar. Saffron is very often counterfeited, so when choosing a seasoning, you can follow a simple rule: it is the most expensive seasoning in the world and cannot be cheap. Saffron in powder form often turns out to be a fake, where instead of crocus stigmas, turmeric root is crushed. In order to distinguish a fake from saffron, it is enough to immerse the product being tested in warm water. Real saffron will first absorb the liquid and only after 10-15 minutes the characteristic aroma and golden color of the seasoning will appear. Fake saffron will immediately color the water yellow.

This seasoning has a fragrant smell and tastes bitter-spicy. Saffron is added to rice dishes and goes well with meat and fish dishes. Basically, the seasoning is used independently, since it does not combine well with other spices (with the exception of ginger and nutmeg). In order to add flavor to the dish, only 3-4 threads of saffron will be enough; you should not add more, it will spoil the taste of the dish and make it bitter.

Crocus bulbs are also edible and can be boiled or baked.

French cuisine adds golden spice to fish soup and other fish dishes. In Italy, saffron is indispensable in the preparation of paella and risotto. Countries in the Middle Eastern region add a little of this spice to soups. In the food industry, saffron can be used to add an appetizing shade to butter and cheese products; it is added to baked goods to give them a unique taste and aroma.

Benefits of crocus flowers and treatment

The benefits of saffron have long been known to Eastern medicine. The spice was used to stimulate appetite, for stomach diseases, and liver diseases. Crocuses help the body recover faster from serious illnesses and cleanse the blood. Regular consumption of saffron helps regulate lipid metabolism and lower blood pressure, which is important for hypertension. The spice has a beneficial effect on the patient’s condition with coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and angina pectoris.

Saffron helps relieve hangovers and tones the body. Crocus stigmas are extremely beneficial for the functioning of the liver and kidneys. The spice relieves pain and improves the functioning of the digestive system. Saffron is effective for chronic fatigue and provides mental clarity. Ancient civilizations used saffron to treat stomach pain and relieve gum inflammation. Crocus stigmas are included in more than 300 oriental medicine recipes. Saffron is used to make eye drops and various tinctures. Essential oil is effective for sleep disorders and is also used to treat the respiratory system. Safranal, a component of essential oil, has pronounced anticancer activity. Essential oil also works great against depression.

Silvia Bisti, an Italian professor, studied the effect of saffron on the visual organs. Research has proven that the spice has a beneficial effect on vision for vision problems such as retinitis pigmentosa and muscle degeneration. Scientists have recognized saffron as effective due to its antioxidant properties, which rejuvenate cells. Scientists have also proven that saffron acts on humans in the same way as the famous American antidepressant.

Harm of crocus flowers and contraindications

Saffron can cause harm to the body during pregnancy (may cause miscarriage), hypertension and diabetes mellitus. If you have diseases of the cardiovascular system, you should consult your doctor before using saffron. Large doses of saffron can be toxic to the body, which should be taken into account when preparing dishes using this spice.