April Crocus 2017

[Jupiter]

Crocus caspius (Collection P.F. 5035 by Paul Furse) from Otto Fauser. It is a real performer, I have two clumps now and I can see them building up gradually.

[Yann]

It's always funny to see these autumn species where spring is here.

I've seen Tony pictures, it was a very snowy winter in Crete

[Lesley Cox]

Hello Yann. I think that because there are so many of you in the north and so many gardener,' while there are comparatively so few of us in the south, we are used to thinking all the time of what is happening with you and your plants but I don't believe many in the north give a moment's thought to life in the southern half of the world at all.

[Yann]

You're certainly right Lesley. If i take my case, spring is the moment where i travel the most for plants and so the less time that i spend on the forum. But i always take a look to southerner's posts, bringing back good memories of previous season.

[David Nicholson]

...............but I don't believe many in the north give a moment's thought to life in the southern half of the world at all.

Quite unfair, we worry about you all, all of the time

[papapoly]

Last Sunday I went to the foothills of Mn Pieria.  Among many flowers (violas - 3 species) were fascinating.  Blues were dominating below 1600 m while masses of yellows were dominating (hardly any blue colours) above 1650 m.  Except the yellow violas I found Crocus cvijicii growing in profusion literally by the millions.  Meadows at 1700 m were covered with them.  Below 1600 m I found Crocus chrysanthous (identified by the rather thin leaves and corm tuncs) well out of flower.  Crocus veluchensis also occurs in the area.  However it must have been out of flower.  Proof of this were 1) the wide leaves, usually wider than cvijicii, and 2)3-4 hybrids with of Crocus cvijicii x veluchensis.  No matter how much I searched I could not find any more.  The reason is most likely that Crocus veluchensis flowers well ahead of Crocus cvijicii.

pic 079:partial view of the N side of Mnt Olympus
134: corm of Crocus cvijicii
143, 151Q Crocus cvijicii

George Papapolymerou

[papapoly]

pics 182, 190 and 191: Crocus cvijicii x veluchensis
248: Mnt Pieria in the background.  Highest peak at 2190 m
309: Crocus cvijicii

[papapoly]

290: light colour form
293: typical forms
301: another light form
272: yellow violas at 1720 m

[papapoly]

329: some variation in depth of colour
339: bud, always deep ornage in colour
356: polinated by bumble bee, I saw several
342, 363: Crocus cvijicii

George Papapolymerou

[Maggi Young]

George! I'm speechless - how wonderful!

[Yann]

yes what a spectacle 

[Lesley Cox]

I hang my head in shame David.

[Lesley Cox]

I am interested to see these hybrids in the wild of Cr. cvijicii x veluchensis as they also happen in cultivation. I grew the seed from C. cvijicii for two years and they were obviously pollinated in part with veluchensis, most of the seedlings being lilac to some degree but there were various creams and yellows and even some white with cream which made me wonder if C. sieberi 'Bowles' White' was also in the mix, as all three crocuses were in two adjoining troughs whereas where C. cvijicii was on its own in a distant trough, it set no seed at all.

The best of the seedlings is a combination of lavender and apricot and about 8 years or so later still is with me but is very slow to increase.

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis I've fallen in love with Crocus minimus. I must look out for seed.

Here are some from my garden yesterday.

I agree, it is phantastic species. Few still were blooming wioth me some days ago.

[Janis Ruksans]

290: light colour form
293: typical forms
301: another light form
272: yellow violas at 1720 m

Excellent pictures, George. I was not checking forum for a long. Trip to Iran, after that work at table writing new article about new crocus found in Iran - hope will be published in May issue of The Alpine Gardener.
Your pictures are really wonderful and plants are, too.
Pity, impossible for me to go to Greece at end of May as I planned it before. Some health problems, a lot of paperwork etc.