Colchicum 'Giant'
meadow saffron 'Giant'
A robust cormous perennial 20cm high with semi-erect, narrowly ovate leaves, 18-25cm long, from winter to spring, and a succession of up to 5 somewhat goblet-shaped flowers, up to 8cm long, with lightly tessellated tepals which are purple-violet with white bases, in autumn; colchicums are a useful late-season source of pollen for honeybees
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | ||||
Autumn | Pink Purple White | |||
Winter | Green |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Colchicaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Potentially harmful
- TOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
- Genus
Colchicum are cormous perennials with usually coarse, broadly strap-shaped leaves which appear with or after the goblet-shaped flowers
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Using gloves to handle corms, plant 10cm deep in summer or early autumn in deep, fertile and well-drained but moisture-retentive soil in an open site in full sun; for more advice, see bulb cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by removing cormlets when dormant in summer; for more advice, see bulb propagation
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Gravel garden
- Rock garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Flower borders and beds
- Underplanting of roses and shrubs
- Wall side borders
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey moulds (Botrytis), smuts, and tulip grey bulb rot
Get involved
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