The Crocus

	Crocus refers to a genus of several dozen species of small clump-forming perennials that have their origins in many different Zone 3 regions from southern Europe to China. They are most noted for being some of the very earliest spring flowers. Crocus have since been cultivated into a wide variety of hybrids, most developed in Holland.
Crocus are most impressive when planted en mass. Pick out a large sunny area in the garden, lawn, or a wild area (rocky spots are great). Plant large drifts using groupings of 20-30 bulbs spaced about 3-4” apart. Crocus are ideal for this kind of naturalizing. Many varieties will thrive and bloom for upwards of 20 years! In the lawn, crocus have perfect timing. They will bloom well before grass starts to grow and by the time it reaches mowing height, the crocus are finished for the season. Established crocus clumps bloom earlier than first-year plantings, so avoid planning your garden colours around first-year bloom times.
	Crocus are easy to grow! Plant your crocus in the Fall in large drifts anywhere you have sun to partial shade. Place bulbs 3-6” deep and space them about 3-4” apart. Crocus require almost no care and are hardy in zones 4-8. If your crocus seem to perform poorly, the most likely reason is over-watering in the summer. Crocus prefer their soil damper in the spring and fall, but dry and warm during the summer.
Never plant crocus near summer annuals or other water-hungry summer blooms. As you give the annuals the water they need, you will be “drowning” the crocus and shortening their life. Excellent companion plants for crocus include flowering quince, forsythia, Asian jasmine, and witch hazel.

Some of our Favorite Crocus:

Lilac Beauty Crocus
	The first star of spring! During the day, the slender, starry petals of this elegant, soft lilac crocus open completely to reveal a rich violet-pink interior with a vibrant orange stamen. Blooms close in the evening only to re-open in the morning sunshine. Strong pest-resistant plants multiply readily in beds, rock gardens and lawns. 5-7 cm bulbs. Zones 3-9. (buy)

The Snow Crocus

This blend of Crocus varieties is a favorite of Breck's customers-and for good reason! Each blooms in early spring-often right through the snow!-in a mix of gold, white, lavender and stripes. Already one of our best values, you'll save even more with this Special Offer!Earliest of all Crocus, these Mixed Snow Crocus bring spring to your garden weeks ahead of schedule. Long before winter fades, exquisite blooms poke through the snow to provide cheery spots of color during drab end-of-winter months when it's most welcome. Ideal for the garden, beneath window, along walks. Delightful when naturalized, they multiply and bloom with added vigor year after year. Very hardy. (buy)

Pickwick Giant Dutch Crocuses
	The finest crocuses grown anywhere in the world! Breck's experts have selected five varieties from leading Dutch growers for superior growth and blooming in all areas of America. Holland's best bulbs, 8 cm and up, produce big, bright, long-lasting flowers early in the season - weeks before other blooms arrive on the scene. Fully guaranteed. Zones 3-9. 8-9 cm bulbs. (buy)

Quick Crocus Fact:

Crocus (plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of perennial flowering plants that grows from a corm, growing naturally from the Aegean (where crocuses appear in Minoan frescos at Santorini), across Central Asia.

As one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring, the large hybridized and selected "Dutch crocus" are popular with gardeners. However, in areas in which snow and frost occasionally occur in the early spring one has to plant them carefully as it is not uncommon in these regions for the crocuses to bloom early, only to suddenly wither and die from a unseasonable "post-winter" frost or snowfall.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Crocus L.

There are about eighty species of crocus, of which approximately 30 are cultivated. These cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flowers taper off into a narrow tube. Their color varies enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow and white are predominant. The grass-like, ensiform leaf shows generally a white central stripe along the leaf axis. The leaf margin is entire. All crocuses typically have three stamens.