How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Crocuses
Choose a planting site where there is well-draining soil. The corms will rot in soggy, compacted ground. Crocuses do best in a spot that gets full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight), but will grow in partial sun as well. 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 a period of cold weather in order to bloom, so plant them in the fall for 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.
A carpet of crocuses makes for a wonderful spring sight!
- ‘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.
Crocuses peaking up through the snow.
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Here in Central Texas they are also called ''Crow Poison''. No Idea Why.
Here’s what we’re able to piece together on this. It is not a crocus. Crow Poison is the common name of a bulb (Nothoscordum bivalve) of the Onion (Alliaceae) family (formerly of the Lily (Liliaceae) family) that resembles a wild onion and is often called “false garlic” but is neither garlic nor onion in scent or taste. It resembles a snow drop but is taller and has move foliage and the flower has a yellow center. It is found from Arizona to the East Coast, including Texas, of course.
There is another plant that is called crow poison and Oceola’s plume (Stenenthium desum); it produces tiny flowers on a stalk; it does not resemble a crocus or the bulb above.
As for the term “crow poison,” apparently, long ago, people crushed the the pulp of the crow poison bulb and spread it on the feathers on the heads of chickens. If a crow or hawk killed the chicken and ate the pulp, the predator would die. Thus, crow poison.
is there a creeping flower i can use to make a colorful lawn area and mix with crocus etc. ? Thamks
We know of no creeping plant that flowers with crocus. But periwinkle, aka myrtle, is a ground cover that keeps its foliage year round and produces blue flowers later in season.
If I naturalize crocus in my lawn can I still use lawn fertilizer and weed killers?
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