a few early crocus

Mark McDonough antennaria@charter.net
Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:22:21 PDT
While it still looks like winter where I live (about 20 miles NW of Roy Herald, in Massachusetts just below the New Hampshire border), on the warm south side of the house, enough snow has receded to allow a few early crocus to open their flowers in the bright sunlight today.  

For the last couple weeks, Crocus vitellinus threatened to bloom, but it's been too frigid outside, with too many little snowfalls (I'm north of the rain/snow transition line... rains in Boston area, always snows where I am).  This is reliably the very first Cocus to bloom, opening it's small but vivid golden yellow flowers with the Galanthus.  Here are three views of this species.  Note the 6-8" crust of snow in the background.  Also note the fresh shiny leaves on Sternbergia lutea, coming through this hard winter unscathed.

http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…
http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…
http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…

Also in bud for about a week, but finally able to open up today, is Crocus biflorus isauricus.  Evidently it is a highly variable species, but always lovely.  Mine came a number years ago from Jane McGary, and it's a real good doer here.  I particularly like the strong purple veining on the back of the tepals.  Here are a few views:

http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…
http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…
http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…

Crocus gargaricus just barely opened a couple of buds today, more buds coming.  I think they look hilarious how the hot orange buds just pop out of the soil like tiny orange grapes.

http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…

I have a "tree ring" under a Hibiscus syriacus cultivar underplanted with numerous Crocus chrysanthis cultivars such as 'Blue Pearl', 'Advance', 'Prins Claus', and others.  They produce masses of seed, so I've gotten into the habit of dabbing pollen from various sorts, then later in summer scratching in all the seed right back into the pine bark mulch the bed is covered with, and they germinate like weeds.  The following are two similar views of an interesting brownish hybrid seedling.  By the way, the black stuff on the ground is not toxic waste, just the blackened remains of numerous Hibiscus syriacus flowers.

http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…
http://plantbuzz.com/buzz/…

Many more crocus budding up or starting to jump out of the ground as the snow recedes.

Mark McDonough
antennaria@charter.net
Pepperell, Massachusetts, USA
USDA Zone 5


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