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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Crocuses
Planting
Crocuses do best in a spot that gets full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight), but will grow in partial sun as well. Choose a planting site where there is well-draining soil; the corms will rot in soggy, compacted ground. Before planting, work in organic matter such as compost to a depth of at least 10 inches.
When to Plant Crocuses
- Crocuses need to experience an extended period of cold weather in order to bloom, so plant them in the fall to get spring blooms.
- Before the ground freezes in the fall, crocus corms can be planted most anywhere, except in the dense shade on the north side of buildings or under thickets.
- Ideally, plant crocus corms 6 to 8 weeks before a hard frost is expected in the fall and when the soil temperature is below 60°F (16°C). This is usually during September or October in the northern U.S. and Canada, and October or November in the southern United States.
How to Plant Crocuses
- Plant crocus corms 3 to 4 inches deep (with the pointy end up). After planting, water well.
- Plant bulbs in groups or clusters rather than spacing them in a single line along a walkway or border. Single flowers get lost in the landscape. Plant a few inches apart, and plant in groups of 10 or more.
- Consider planting crocuses in lawns and meadows where they can form carpets, or mass them in the front of flower beds along the edge.
- Plant taller spring-flowering bulbs and shrubs behind the early bulbs for color contrast.
→ Learn more about planting fall bulbs.
Types
- ‘Bowles White’ produces white flowers with deep golden yellow throats in early spring. It grows 2 to 3 inches tall.
- ’Flower Record’ has single pale violet flowers in spring to early summer. It grows 4 to 5 inches tall.
- ’Pickwick’ is a striped crocus with alternating pale and dark lilac and dark purple bases. It’s 4 to 5 inches tall and blooms in spring to early summer.
- ’Tricolor Crocus’ is a beauty. Each narrow flower has three distinct bands of lilac, white, and golden yellow. It grows 3 inches tall and blooms in late winter and early spring.
- ’Purpureus Grandiflorus’ has abundance violet flowers with purple bases. It grows 4 to 5 inches tall and blooms spring to early summer.
Catherine Boeckmann
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My crocus are stems are coming back up now (end September). This happened last year but never bloomed. It looks like I have weeds in need to pull. Any suggestions? -
Hi Vickie,
So, our assumption is that the crocus flowers you are talking about are the spring blooming variety that already flowered earlier this year. There are fall blooming varieties as well, but them coming up at this point of the season would not be abnormal.
It is rather unusual for crocuses to emerge a second time in a season given they need to experience an extended period of cold weather in order to bloom.
Since they did not bloom last year, is there a chance that it is in fact something else emerging (like a late-season weed) in the same area? Regardless, you can wait for them to die back and remove later in the season so the area is nice and tidy for when the crocuses come back in the spring.
Hope this helps!
Can people who are allergic to pollin in flowers have a problem with crocuses?
Dear Alan,
While it’s possible that someone who is allergic to pollen may have an issue with crocuses, they do appear on lists of plants recommended for pollen-allergy sufferers.
The Missouri Botanical Garden offers a robust resource for the best trees, shrubs, and grasses for allergy sufferers.
—The Editors
Hi,
I want to plant crocus , daffodils bulbs in my lawn.
How do I prevent crocus from spreading to my neighbours lawn?
Thanks,
Su
Just bought bulbs and want to know can I plant them now and they will take 3/:23
You could certainly plant them, but unless they have been pre-chilled, they are unlikely to bloom this year. They should still produce leaves, though, which will set them up nicely for blooming next spring.
Last fall I planted Saffron Crocus for the first time. I planted them in a large pot, out doors. They grew fine, bloomed and I even got several stigmas from them. Once the flowers died, the plants produced a grass like growth. It's about 10 to 12 inches long. Do I need to trim this growth back or should I leave it alone? Like I said they are new to my garden, and I would like them to grow back. Thanks for any info anyone can give me.
Bernard, as with all bulbs you want to leave the leaves alone until they die back so the corms can gather energy from the sun and they will come back and possibly naturalize in your garden depending on where you are and your growing conditions. Once the leaves have died back then you can cut the old foliage down to the ground. A bulb fertilizer will help them grow better if you fertilize, I believe, after the blooms are done. Happy gardening!
Is there any difference in the care for saffron crocus?
