Does any grow other crocus sp.?

Bulbs and blooms · April 23, 2024, 05:08:51 PM

Hi guys!

I'm new to this forum. Only got an account a little while ago. But I have a question. Does anyone here grow any other species of crocus that's not sativus? Does anyone have any experience with them? And do you guys know of anyone who sells or donates them?

Uli · April 23, 2024, 11:43:12 PM

Hello,

Welcome to the forum. As this forum is being used by an international community it would be great if you would specify where ,,here" is....... And it is also nice to know a name. You can set up an automatic signature like in this reply so that you do not need to do that in every individual post.
Your question is very good and once your locality is clear you should get a friendly reply.

Bye for now

David Pilling · April 24, 2024, 04:26:35 AM

"here" may mean, here on the forum, and is a valid question.
Of course in discussion "here" may soon mean locality, and it is a good idea to set up your fourum profile (top left of page) to show it over on the left of your replies.

I grow and have grown loads of different crocus species. There is pleasure to be had. They are fairly inexpensive and commonly available from the usual suppliers of Dutch bulbs. The ones that survive long term untended in the garden are the large Dutch hybrids and Crocus tommasinianus - that is of course here in the North of England.

You can find my photos in the PBS wiki crocus pages (search on my surname).

https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Crocus

I have tried but I can't recall ever growing a crocus to flowering from seed. So any photos are of the commercial varieties.

Bulbs and blooms · April 24, 2024, 07:55:12 AM

Sorry! My location is Los Angeles California!

David Pilling · April 24, 2024, 07:59:55 AM

Doing a search on the PBS wiki for California and Crocus gives:

https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/SpringBloomingCrocusFour
https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/SpringBloomingCrocusThree
https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/FallBloomingCrocusTwo

I gather California is a big state with a varying climate from North to South. But now you've said where, maybe some forum members from there will chip in.

Diane Whitehead · April 24, 2024, 08:17:14 AM

I am growing crocus from The Crocus Group seed exchange. This is an informal group, an off-shoot of the British Iris Society. Anyone can join the group. The only charge is to cover cost of the seed exchange, there's no membership fee. If you want seeds, you email a request for the list.

One seedlist I have kept has 89 offerings. That doesn't mean there were 89 species - there were 8 collections of C pallasii, for example, from different areas of Turkey.

Many are still in pots, having never flowered, but some I put in the garden. C boryi and goulimyi bloomed and were eaten, probably by rabbits.

The Scottish Rock Garden Society website includes The Crocus Pages with descriptions and photos of many crocus https://www.srgc.org.uk/genera/index.php?log=crocus

Unfortunately for you, the USA has regulations for importing seeds that make it too much of a bother to send seeds to you.

Diane

Randy Linke · April 25, 2024, 05:01:44 AM

I second the Crocus society and have been participating in the exchange for a couple of years now. Always an interesting list though names are not always up to date from the donors. It is a good place to start.

janemcgary · April 25, 2024, 05:24:58 PM

When I started my bulb collection around 1990, I bought and grew from seed many species of Crocus at my home near Portland, Oregon. I've lost a lot of them over the years (especially to field mice) and have tried to bring in replacements and new species as often as possible. I can't import corms any more, but I have new seedlings most years and keep them carefully. Mark Akimoff's Illahe Nursery in Oregon is growing many different Crocus species, including some from my collection. Sadly, little seed is now being collected and offered for sale, but perhaps importation of corms from Europe will occur soon.

Bulbs and blooms · April 28, 2024, 07:49:51 PM

Quote from: janemcgary on April 25, 2024, 05:24:58 PMWhen I started my bulb collection around 1990, I bought and grew from seed many species of Crocus at my home near Portland, Oregon. I've lost a lot of them over the years (especially to field mice) and have tried to bring in replacements and new species as often as possible. I can't import corms any more, but I have new seedlings most years and keep them carefully. Mark Akimoff's Illahe Nursery in Oregon is growing many different Crocus species, including some from my collection. Sadly, little seed is now being collected and offered for sale, but perhaps importation of corms from Europe will occur soon.

I read about you in the bulb garden newsletter! I got a letter with some articles from the pbs yesterday! Great articles!