Jim Jones wrote: “A successful example is C. autumnale: sown 12/89; germ. 2/91; bloomed 9/99. May I point out that it is readily available commercially, including improved forms.” Jim, I wish it were so. In my experience, true Colchicum autumnale is not at all common in the trade. What is common is the plant sold as Colchicum autumnale ‘Major’. But this is not Colchicum autumnale, it is C. byzantinum. I’ve often wondered about the relationship of the “improved forms” to true Colchicum autumnale. Three of the most frequently encountered, the ones called C. autumnale ‘Album’ and the doubled flowered pink and white forms, do not bloom with the stocks of true Colchicum autumnale which I have grown. These “improved forms” bloom much later for me. True Colchicum autumnale has a wide distribution in nature I think; it’s plausible that these improved forms originated from forms which are late blooming in nature (in other words, middle eastern rather than the transalpine European forms) or just as likely represent ancient garden hybrids involving species which superficially look like C. autumnale. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7 where white still rules and green is hardly to be seen. My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/