Colchicum plant9/12/2023 ![]() Particularly poisonous, it is also called dog-killer since its poison can be fatal to animals. Learn more about colchicumĬolchicum, native to Turkey and Iran, numbers about a hundred species throughout the world. The only problems that might arise are due to snails and slugs but damage is often minimal. Regular hoeing around the flowers will highlight them and increase enjoyment.ĭiseases and parasites that impact colchicumĬolchicum is a plant that knows practically neither disease nor parasite.Watering after a very dry summer and fall can signal colchicum to start growing again.One of the great assets of colchicum is that no maintenance is needed at all, and it will blend into your garden right away.Īfter the blooming, wait for the leaves to have withered away completely before cutting, or even let them be on the spot for even better winter protection. Caring for colchicumĮasy to care for and simple to cultivate, colchicum requires very little work and flowers abundantly in fall. Choose a well-lit area or partially shaded for the best blooming.Īlthough crocus and colchicum look very similar, they do belong to different families.Ten or so specimens in close range will create that many colorful patches. ![]() It’s quite smart to cluster them together.Plant the bulbs from July to September more or less 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) deep, keeping the bulbs at equal intervals.Ĭolchicum is a type of plant that is perfect for ground cover. Planting colchicumĬolchicum is a perennial bulb that is easy to plant which will flower year after year. ‘Rosy Dawn’ and ‘Dick ‘Trotter’ both feature single rose-colored flowers with a white center.Įxcerpted from my book, New England Getting Started Garden Guide.Colchicum, or autumn crocus, is a very cute little bulb flower that blooms from the beginning of fall up to the first frost spells.Įasy to care for, it fancies sun or light shade. ‘Alba’ has single white flowers, while ‘Albaplenum has double white blooms. ‘Waterlily’ is a double-flowered pink variety with 6 to 8 inch diameter flowers. Plant bulbs close to a walkway or lawn so you can enjoy the brightly colored flowers. Plant bulbs next to other fall bloomers, such as sedum, to provide some complimentary color. Grow colchicum in an area protected from winds so the flowers last longer. Grow colchicum among low growing evergreens, such as creeping junipers, in front of a perennial flower border or near shrubs for a late season show. Mark the plant’s location so you don’t mistakenly weed out the nondescript foliage in spring when it comes up thinking it’s a weed. Colchicum is a good pollen source for bees in fall when little else is available for them. To produce more bulbs for your garden, dig and divide bulbs in mid summer when they’re dormant. Sprinkle fertilizer around plants in spring to encourage more leafy growth that will feed the bulb and produce better flowering in fall. Protect the flowers during wet periods from slugs and snails by placing a beer trap, sprinkling iron phosphate organic bait or spreading crushed oyster or seashells near the flowers. ![]() Keep the bulbs well watered the first fall. Spread a small handful of a bulb fertilizer in the planting hole. Plant bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep spaced 6 to 12 inches apart. ![]() The sunnier the location for colchicums, the less likely they will flop over when flowering. Grow colchicum bulbs purchased from the local garden center in late summer in well-drained soil in full to part sun. In colder parts of our region spread bark mulch over the area where the bulbs are to protect them from winter. In spring the lance-shaped leaves emerge for a month of growth before dying back.Ĭolchicum is hardy to zone 4. It’s quite a surprise to see up to 6, bright single or double petaled blossoms with yellow anthers popping up around your flowering mums. Colchicum is also called naked ladies because in fall, only the flowers emerge from the oil. Autumn crocus or saffron crocus is one type of fall bulb you can grow in our region, but a more dramatically colored, fall flowering bulb is the colchicum. Most gardeners are familiar with spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips, but there is a group of fall flowering bulbs that grow well in New England, providing color in fall when you least expect it. Attracts beneficials, drought tolerant, deer resistant ![]()
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