Crocus tommasinianus
At Wisley, carpets of Crocus tommasinianus create a delightful sea of purple-blue on the Alpine Meadow.
Vital statistics
- Common name
- Crocus
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Height & spread
- 8-10cm (3–4in) x 2.5cm (1in)
- Form
- Dwarf, cormous perennial
- Soil
- Gritty, poor to moderately fertile, well-drained
- Aspect
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
Crocus
Crocus is one of the most ancient plant names. It comes from the Greek 'krokos' (saffron), derived from the Semitic word 'karkom', which was used in the Old Testament. The genus includes both the common crocus and the saffron crocus. The saffron crocus, C. sativus, is grown in the Mediterranean countries for the stigma and part of the styles which are used to produce the much prized spice and a yellow dye.
This genus has about 80 species of dwarf, cormous perennials found from coastal to subalpine areas in central and southern Europe, north Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and western China. Habitats include woodland, scrub and meadows.
Flowers are small, mainly goblet-shaped and open in autumn or early spring. The 6 tepals (sepals or petals) which form the bowl of the flower are 2–5cm (0.75–2in) long.
Leaves are long, very narrow and mostly mid-green with pale silvery green central stripes. They usually appear at the same time or shortly after the flowers, but in some autumn flowering species the flowers appear well before the leaves.
Crocuses are best grown in drifts at the front of a border, in a rock garden or raised bed. The more vigorous species can be naturalised in short grass.
Crocus tommasinianus
This species was named in honour of Muzio Giuseppe Spirito de Tommasini (1794 – 1879), a magistrate and botanist at Trieste who was celebrated for his work on the Dalmation flora. It is found in southern Hungary, north west Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
C. tommasinianus produces slender flowers, 2–4.5cm (0.75–1.75in) long in late winter to early spring. The flowers may be pale silvery lilac to reddish purple. The outer petals are often overlaid silver and the petal tips are sometimes darker.
f. albus has white flowers.
'Barr's Purple' has purple flowers, silvery outside.
'Ruby Giant' is sterile with reddish-purple flowers and is clump forming.
Cultivation
- Plant 8–10cm (3–4in) deep in full sun and gritty, poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil
- Plant spring flowering species in autumn and autumn flowering ones in late summer
- Mice, voles and squirrels may feed on the corms. Birds may pick off the flowers
Propagation
- Collect seed as soon as ripe, just before the seed capsule splits. Sow immediately in containers in a cold frame and leave for 2 years before planting out
- Many crocuses self-seed freely
- Remove cormlets during dormancy
AGM
The RHS Rock Garden Plant Trials Subcommittee awarded Crocus tommasinianus an Award of Garden Merit and described it as:
'a corm with long-tubed flowers appearing with the narrow leaves. Flowers variable, lilac to deep purple, sometimes paler outside.'
In 2010 it added:
'attractive, vigorous garden plant almost guaranteed to bulk up and give a good display. Many different shades, from white to rich dark purple, all of them attractive. Good colours can have clonal names, but they seed and hybridise freely making it very difficult to keep the colonies true in a garden situation.'