Fall-blooming Crocus (and a Bit About Colchicum)
Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 7:10PM 
Crocus pulchellus, the hairy crocus, is a fall blooming crocus.
Plant fall-blooming crocuses for delightful drifts of color when little else is blooming. The fall-blooming crocuses belong to the iris family and are not to be confused with autumn crocus, a misleading common name often used for Colchicum, an unrelated plant that is a member of the lily family. Depending on variety, these plants will bloom for weeks from September into November, and even into December in milder climates. After blooming, allow the plants to die back naturally so they will replenish the bulbs for next year's blooms. Grassy leaves will appear in early spring, and then the plant will go dormant for summer.
Crocus pulchellus, also called hairy crocus, is a relative of the more common Crocus speciosus, another fall bloomer, but it has paler blooms and shorter, sturdier stems than its cousin. "Pulchellus" is latin for "pretty," and it is one of the loveliest fall-blooming crocuses. Its luminous goblets are pale lilac with deeper veins, accented by yellow throats and orange anthers.
Crocus pulchellus grows four to six inches tall. Plant the corms in late summer to early fall in hardiness zones 5-9. They do best in well-drained soil in a sunny location, though they will tolerate partial shade. Plant them 3 inches deep and about 3-6 inches apart.
Fall-blooming crocuses may flop, especially after a hard rain, so plant them in low ground cover or a good layer of mulch to help them stand upright. Locate them in rock gardens or in front of shrubs or around trees. They are beautiful when naturalized in lawns. They produce bulblets all around the parent corm and may spread fairly rapidly. They also do well in containers.
Bees and pollinators are attracted to fall-blooming crocuses. These are beautiful, low-maintenance plants with few pests, except, unfortunately, for mice, squirrels and voles. If these are a problem, you can bury them in wire cages.
I planted ten Crocus pulchellus about a month ago, along with a giant colchicum. I found theses at Myers Plants and Pottery in Pelham, Alabama. The colchicum came up and bloomed within a couple of weeks, but the crocuses just began to bloom yesterday. I will definitely be planting more of both. It is easy to see how fall-blooming crocus and colchicum are confused, because some of them look a lot alike. Don't worry if you get them mixed up. They have similar requirements, and they look good together. Both have selections in shades of blue, violet, pink, and white. A variety of these little beauties will perk up the fall garden just as other plants prepare for winter sleep.
To compare, see photos of my colchicum in my previous post: Hanging in There, not Dead Yet!
Reader Comments (9)
I remember seeing these bulbs offered for sale in local garden centers in late summer years ago but they seem to have entirely disappeared. Of course, bulb sales have dropped off here in general. I've found I have to rely on on-line sellers to get all but the most common bulbs these days.
I saw an amazing stand of fall crocuses at the Montreal Botanical Garden at the beginning of October. It reminded me that I need to plant some. I like your idea of planting with a ground cover. Yours are lovely.
They are lovely, Deb! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Beautiful flowers - I must add some to my Colchicums. Really love your white ones, they look so delicate.
I read about these yesterday, but only on your photos can I actually see the yellow throat.
These are so pretty. I really love the spring-blooming crocuses, so maybe I'll have to consider adding some of these. :)
Very lovely and delicate. Not something that I have grown to date. I did not know that fall-blooming crocus and autumn crocus were not the same.
I often see these online, but it wasn’t until last week that I actually saw them blooming in a public garden. They were very cute and charming, and slightly incongruous!
Crocuses are lovely little flowers, so wonderful to see them in bloom in your garden.