Crocus September 2014

[Cyril L]

Dirk, here I find Crocus scharojanii does not flower all together regularly, i.e. flowers usually appear in succession, a bit like C. autranii.  It is however still more reliable than the spring flowering C. scardicus.

[Steve Garvie]

Wonderful images of these beautiful crocus in the wild!

Cyril, that pot of scharojanii is stunning!!! 

[pehe]

Dima, seeing these wonderful crocus in the wild prompts me to post some pictures of my plants in the last few weeks.

Crocus vallicola
Crocus autranii
Crocus scharojanii

Cyril,

I can only repeat what others have said - stunning to see a pot full of C. scharojanii flowers. Well done!
Could you tell us how you grow them so well? It is not the easiest one to deal with.


Poul

[Diane Whitehead]

Crocus banaticus from SRGC seed.

[Cyril L]

Cyril,

I can only repeat what others have said - stunning to see a pot full of C. scharojanii flowers. Well done!
Could you tell us how you grow them so well? It is not the easiest one to deal with.


Poul

Poul,

I grow it in much the same way I grow other bulbs that don't like drying out too much.  Compost is 2 JI No. 3 + 1 grit with some composted bark, repotted in July (sometimes leaves are still green) and never allowed to get dry at any time.  During the growing period, when new leaves begin to appear, 1/2 strength high potash feed is given every week/fortnight.  It is grown in a clay pot plunged in sand in the greenhouse which is more or less frost free and given full exposure, which is fine in a Scottish climate, but with a continental climate, a shadier and cooler place would be more appropriate.

As mentioned previously, it does not always flower well.  I have been growing it since 1997 when I got it from the then 'Pottenton & Martin Nursery'.  I have several bulbs but only a few flower every year.  This year they flowered end of July, but the leaves have not appeared yet which is quite normal.  Fingers crossed that they are still fine underground.

[udo]

Dirk, here I find Crocus scharojanii does not flower all together regularly, i.e. flowers usually appear in succession, a bit like C. autranii.  It is however still more reliable than the spring flowering C. scardicus.

Cyril,
with me it is exactly different, Crocus scardicus blossom everybody at the same time. Indeed, is there only one clone, with Crocus autranii and scharojanii these are different seedlings.

[pehe]

Crocus autranii
Crocus banaticus 'First Snow'
Crocus karduchorum? The troat should be pure white.

Poul

[Cyril L]

Cyril,
with me it is exactly different, Crocus scardicus blossom everybody at the same time. Indeed, is there only one clone, with Crocus autranii and scharojanii these are different seedlings.

Dirk, this is an interesting point.  I bought 3 bulbs of C. scharojanii in 1997 and it could be they are all different clones which might explain why they flower at different times.  Also C. autranii was raised from seeds so the bulbs are all different clones.  Maybe if they are all the same clone they would flower together.  C. scardicus is very unreliable to flower here, at most I had 3 flowers at the same time but most years it does not flower.  Maybe it is a matter of getting a good flowering clone!

[ruben]

Poul,

I also think you're Crocus karduchorum is not a pure karduchorum. I think you're crocus is a cross between kotschyanus and karduchorum. Its has the yellow dots in the throat from kotschyanus but the style is typical karduchorum for me.

[Janis Ruksans]

Regarding Crocus karduchorum - there are some problems. I have stock collected by Stevens, Archibald, Seisums - SASA-102 - at locus classicus which looks close to cappadocicus, but stigma is much more divided. I still have original plants (not seedlings) and I'm always doubtful about name. Just now I compared both again. SASA - 102 has dark yellow spots at base, petals intensively striped, stigma much divided creamy. Seedlings repeat mother plants. Cappadocicus has much less divided deep yellow to orange yellow stigma. Kotschyanus is not growing side by side with karduchorum. So it is questionable plant. What really is SASA-102?
I have other acquisitions of karduchorum, too - they are very pale with white throat, stigma from pure white to creamy, allways much divided.
Janis

[Tony Willis]

Crocus hadriaticus from Mt Parnassus

[pehe]

Regarding Crocus karduchorum - there are some problems. I have stock collected by Stevens, Archibald, Seisums - SASA-102 - at locus classicus which looks close to cappadocicus, but stigma is much more divided. I still have original plants (not seedlings) and I'm always doubtful about name. Just now I compared both again. SASA - 102 has dark yellow spots at base, petals intensively striped, stigma much divided creamy. Seedlings repeat mother plants. Cappadocicus has much less divided deep yellow to orange yellow stigma. Kotschyanus is not growing side by side with karduchorum. So it is questionable plant. What really is SASA-102?
I have other acquisitions of karduchorum, too - they are very pale with white throat, stigma from pure white to creamy, allways much divided.
Janis

Perhaps this species is more variable than first thought?

Poul

[WimB]

A very easy species, but beautiful none the less. Crocus kotschyanus subsp. kotschyanus.

[Janis Ruksans]

Perhaps this species is more variable than first thought?

Poul

Unfortunately impossible ask to Jim - is SASA-102 originally collected plants or his seedlings? I supposed that they were his own original stock. I got them by his wish. Will try to contact Arnis Seisums, he is so busy, that not easy met him. May be he will remember this trip of 2003.
Janis

[David Nicholson]

A very easy species, but beautiful none the less. Crocus kotschyanus subsp. kotschyanus.
(Attachment Link)

Cracking image Wim.