Crocus vernus
("Dutch Crocus")
With the largest flowers of any crocus, Dutch crocus look beautiful when planted in individual or mixed colors. They grow well in lawns (where they are also difficult to reach for those pesky squirrels!) but if you want them to come back in future years you will have to wait at least six weeks after blooming before mowing the grass. Their calyx-shaped flowers open only when there is lots of light and stay closed in rainy heavy overcast weather and at night. Their narrow leaves have a silver-grey stripe down the middle.
What You Need To Know Before You Plant:
When Will This Flower Bloom?
Early Spring
When Should I Buy and Plant These Bulbs?
Fall
What Kind of Light Does This Bulb Prefer?
Full sun to partial shade
What Color Will the Flower Be?
Yellow, white, purple, striped blue & white or (as they are often sold) a mixture of all four
How Far Apart Should I Plant These Bulbs?
3 in / 8 cm
How Deep Should I Dig?
4 in / 10 cm
How Tall Will It Grow?
4-6 in / 10-15 cm
Recommended Number of Bulbs Per Square Foot?
15
Is It Deer/Critter Resistant?
No
How Can I Best Use It in My Landscaping?
In borders, rock gardens, lawns, under trees and shrubs and suitable for indoor forcing.
What Should I Do After Flowering?
Allow the foliage to die back naturally and they will grow back and bloom for many years to come. If you want them to naturalize successfully in your lawn you should not cut your lawn (or mow around them) for several weeks after flowering has finished.
Other Popular Varieties
'Flower Record' (shiny violet-mauve), 'Grand Maitre' (lavender-violet), 'Jeanne d'Arc' (pure white), 'King of the Striped' (violet with lighter stripes), 'Pickwick' (very pale blue striped and white) and 'Remembrance' (deep blue-violet).
About the Family
Crocus (Spring Flowering) Family
Cultivation and harvesting of crocuses was first documented on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean. Crocus are native to woodland, scrub and meadows from sea level, to alpine tundra in central and southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, on the islands of the Aegean, and across central Asia into western China. The first crocuses seen in the Netherlands, where they are not native, came from Constantinople in the 1560's. A few ended up with Carolus Clusius in the botanical gardens in Leiden. By 1620 some new varieties had been developed that are very similar to ones still being traded today.
Read More About the Family