Lovely Crocus Flowers Bloom Both Spring and Fall

One of the first signs of spring in the north and midwestern U.S. states are crocuses in bloom.

Many people like structured flower beds and flowers do look nice when a whole clump is in bloom.  But I also like to see individual plants coming up here and there in a lawn like this one. 

Crocus "bulbs" are actually crocus "corms", which have a flat end and a pointed end. Corms are solid and have a papery outer covering, similar to the covering on garlic bulbs.

The crocus corm that was planted in autumn gets completely used up as it grows and flowers in spring. Before going dormant, the plant makes a new corm and sometimes more than one. 

That's why it's important not to mow the grass after the bloom dies and while the leaves are still green. If you cut the plant too soon, there won't be any foliage left to grow a new corm for next year.

It's best to wait six weeks after they finish blooming and then set the mower blades to a high setting. 

Crocuses do well in cold to moderate winter weather. They won't grow in hot climates, although you might try growing them in pots if you have a cool room in the house. 

Plant crocus bulbs (corms) in the fall. Look around for a sunny area where the ground doesn't normally get too wet or soggy. You might want to find a spot where you can see the crocuses bloom from your window. 

Crocuses are small corms, so they dry out faster than larger bulbs. Plant the crocus in early fall as soon as you buy them. 

You can buy crocus at many retail and home improvement stores, but the packages will probably not be labeled with their scientific name. If you want to plant a particular type of crocus, buy from a well known nursery or mail order store. 

Plant crocus corms with the pointed side up. Dig a hole about 2 inches deep and plant the corms about 2 or 3 inches apart. You can plant crocus throughout your lawn, in flower beds, and in pots. 

Work the soil a little before you plant, adding compost or a little plant fertilizer. Crocuses are hardy plants and don't need much help unless your soil is extremely poor.  Afterwards, you can put a thin layer of mulch if you like. 

Crocuses don't have insect problems and are resistant to disease, but squirrels like to eat new corms. If you have squirrels in the area, you can lay chicken wire on top of the ground after planting. If the corms are planted in a garden, you can cover the wire with mulch to hide it. It you're planting in your yard, you may want to leave the wire exposed or place some flags or markers so you'll remember where the bulbs are.  

Some crocus species grow in the fall, adding color when most other plants are no longer in bloom. Fall/autumn crocuses are part of the lily family, where spring crocuses are part of the iris family.

The autumn crocus has flowers about 4 inches across with clusters of one to four blossoms.  They rise out of the ground without any accompanying foliage.  They bloom about 2-3 weeks and then die back to the ground. 

The following spring, several leaves appear, about a foot tall.  These leaves produce food that is used by the underground corm. The foliage dies down by early summer, and you don't see anything more until it flowers in early autumn. 

If you don't know you have these plants and cut down the foliage before it feeds the corms, they will probably die.

You probably won't be able to buy autumn crocus bulbs except at garden centers or mail order stores.  They must be planted earlier than normal fall bulbs.

NOTE:  You shouldn't plant autumn crocus if you have pets that eat plants.  Although spring crocuses can also make animals sick, the autumn crocuses are highly poisonous (they contain a  toxic alkaloid called colchicine). All parts of autumn crocuses are poisonous.