SafePlants

Crocus: A Springtime Delight

Crocuses, with their cheerful colors and early blooming habit, are a welcome sign of spring. These low-maintenance perennials bring vibrancy to gardens and provide an important early source of pollen for bees.

Considerations for Pets

• Crocuses grow from corms, which are underground storage organs similar to bulbs.

Scientific Name and Common Names

• Scientific Name: Crocus tommasinianus
• Common Names: Woodland crocus, early crocus, Tommasini's crocus (often referred to as 'tommies')

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Genus: Crocus
• Synonym: Crocus serbicus (for Crocus tommasinianus)
• Named after botanist Muzio G. Spirito de Tommasini

Distribution and Habitat

• Crocus tommasinianus was introduced from Eastern Europe.
• Well-suited for naturalizing in lawns and under deciduous trees.
• Often found in rock gardens.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Dwarf, deciduous perennials growing from a corm.
• Linear leaves, usually with a silvery central stripe.
• Goblet-shaped, sometimes fragrant flowers that appear in autumn or early spring.
• Flowers have three outer tepals and three concolorous inner petals.
• In many species, each corm produces several flowers.

Ecological Role

• Important early spring forage for bees, providing pollen and nectar.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Crocuses are an early source of pollen and nectar for bees.

Quirky Facts

• Crocus flowers exhibit thermonasty, a movement in response to temperature changes.

Cultivars and Varieties

• 'Tricolor' (Crocus sieberi): Features flowers with bands of white, purple, and egg-yolk yellow.
• 'Ruby Giant': An early cultivar blooming from as early as February with purple flowers and slender, strap-like foliage.
• 'Early Gold' (Crocus reticulatus): A specific cultivar.
• 'Vanguard' and 'Blue Pearl' are especially early snow crocus.
• 'Yellow Mammoth' is a Giant Crocus vernus cultivar.