Autumn Crocus

Posted By Communications on Oct 12, 2020 | 0 comments


Photo submitted by Christine Stockwell.

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The flowers of the Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnal) always surprise me when they appear in my garden in late September. Their pinkish-magenta flowers look too Spring-like for the autumn garden with its yellow and orange Calendulas and deep red dahlias – but I am happy to see them just the same – and so are the honeybees. They are also known as “Naked Ladies”  because the flowers emerge from the ground long after the large trap-like leaves have withered and disintegrated.  Another surprise is that they are more closely related to members of the Iris family than they are to the crocuses that bloom in the Spring-time.  Surprises all around!


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