Russell in Michigan wrote, >I'm afraid I cannot see the rest of the fall crocuses so lightly >dismissed, Jim. Crocus niveus, C. goulimyi, C. pulchellus, C. >cancellatus, and C. laevigatus can easily hold their own against C. >speciosus, as can C. banaticus, C. medius, and others. I would recommend >growing a medley of these to prolong the fall crocus season. Here, C. >cancellatus ssp. cancellatus is usually the earliest (September) and C. >laevigatus the latest (often blooming into January). Even in western Oregon (winter lows typically in the mid-teens Fahrenheit), Crocus goulimyi and C. pulchellus are not winter-hardy in the open garden. C. cancellatus is moisture-intolerant. The others mentioned are more persistent in the open, C. laevigatus being quite a surprise (I have it in an extremely well-drained position). I think that all commercial stock of C. medius is virus-infected, so it would have to be grown from seed (does anybody have some?). Other hardy fall crocuses include C. kotschyanus, C. cartwrightianus, C. hadriaticus, C. speciosus (probably the hardiest of all) and C. ochroleucus (another surprise). C. banaticus is winter-hardy but intolerant of summer drying, and for some reason very attractive to predators. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA