Meadow Saffron

Meadow Saffron (Colchicum) - Hardy bulbs, some handsome in autumn. The individual flowers do not, as a rule, last long, but, as they come in succession, there is a long season of bloom. The flowers are often destroyed through being grown in bare beds of soil, where the splashing of the soil in heavy rains impairs their beauty. In the rock garden among dwarf plants Colchicums thrive, and make a pretty show in autumn, when rock gardens are often flowerless. They look better in grassy places or in the wild garden than in beds or borders. Their naked flowers want the relief and grace of grass and foliage. There are about thirty kinds, though only about half of them are in cultivation, and among these the differences are often slight. Also See: Flowers

Contents 1 Related Flowers 1.1 Colchicum Autumnale 1.2 Colchicum Parkinsoni 1.3 Colchicum Speciosum

Related Flowers

Colchicum Autumnale

Colchicum Autumnale - ommonly called the autumn Crocus. The flowers appear before the leaves, rosy-purple, in clusters of about six, 2 or 3 inches above the surface, flowering from September to November. There are several varieties, the chief being the double purple, white and striped; rose-lilac; rose-lilac, striped with white, pale rose; and pure white.

Colchicum Parkinsoni

Colchicum Parkinsoni - A distinct plant, readily distinguished from any of the fore-going by the peculiar chequered markings of its violet-purple flowers. Its flowers come in autumn, and its leaves in spring. Similar kinds are Bivonae, variegatum, agrippinum, chionense, tessellatum, all of which have the flowers chequered with dark purple on a white ground.

Colchicum Speciosum

Colchicum Speciosum - rom the Caucasus, is large and beautiful, and valuable for the garden in autumn, where its large rosy-purple flowers appear nearly 1 foot above the ground. C. s. rubrum is a very handsome variety, the pure white C. s. album being unique. These speciosum varieties make excellent groups in grass and on the fringes of woodland places. Like the rest of the Meadow Saffrons, they are as well suited for the rock garden as the border, thriving in any soil; but to have it in perfection, choose a situation exposed to the sun, with sandy soil—in fact, a spot likely to dry up during summer.