Blooming in Westfield
Jane McGary (Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:57:06 PDT)
Jim SHields wrote,
the 6 Crocus nudiflorus
corms I received from Jane in 2004 (Jane, we are going to miss your surplus
bulbs badly!) are starting to flower, and seem to have increased to 8. Cr.
nudiflorus I've had previously never bloomed and eventually disappeared
completely.
The same stock is flowering here in both the garden and the bulb
frame. This is one of the hardier fall-blooming crocuses and probably
one that is best adapted to summer-rainfall climates. It's welcome
for its strong violet color.
When you lift this crocus, you will usually find curious cormlets
with long white "droppers". I don't know whether these are vegetative
increase or whether they result from seeds in capsules that remain
buried rather than extending on stems when the seeds are ripe. You
can plant these little ones out separately and they will bloom in
another 2 years.
You need not miss the surplus bulbs for too long, because I've been
sharing my stock with Mark Akimoff of Illahe Nursery in Salem,
Oregon, who is increasing them for eventual mail-order sale.
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA