Colchicum autumnale
Autumn crocus
Common names: Meadow saffron, Naked ladies
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −20 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Stemonitis · Public Domain · Source
Description
The autumn crocus produces pale violet, crocus‑like flowers without leaves from the ground in September and October; the large leaves appear only the following spring. It is an impressive meadow and garden plant, but all parts are highly poisonous (colchicine) and should not be grown in gardens with small children or grazing animals.
Care instructions
Plant the bulbs in July and August about 10 cm deep in moist, humus‑rich soil in sun or partial shade; they will flower a few weeks later. Wear gloves when planting because the sap is toxic. Do not disturb the plant afterwards and cut the spring foliage only after it has yellowed, so the bulb stores reserves for the autumn bloom.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
PlantingJul–Aug
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, clayey, humus-rich, moist, nutrient-rich
Plant it in deep, humus-rich loamy or clay soil. Its natural habitat is nutrient-rich, fresh to moist meadows and floodplain areas. The soil should be evenly moist and well-drained (no waterlogging); a neutral to slightly lime-rich pH is ideal, and it avoids strongly acidic soils.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
Feed in spring, when the leaves come up (March to April): work mature compost shallowly around the plant or lay it on as a thin mulch layer, adding some horn shavings for slow release of nutrients. It needs no more than that, because too much nitrogen promotes foliage at the expense of flowers. After the autumn flowering, a thin layer of compost can serve as winter protection and soil care.
Overwintering
The autumn crocus is hardy in Central Europe. Simply leave the corms in the soil; they last out the winter there and shoot again by themselves in spring. More important than frost protection is good drainage: avoid waterlogging, as the corms rot in permanently wet soil; only in a very exposed position does a thin cover of leaves or brushwood help.
Propagation
Methods
- Offsets
- From seed
The most reliable way to propagate the autumn crocus is by daughter corms: dig up the mother corm in June or July, as soon as the foliage has completely died back and turned brown. The daughter corms, which form at the side of the mother corm every year, can then be carefully separated by hand or with a clean knife. Each daughter corm should have a recognisable growing tip. Replant the separated corms straight away, tip upwards, in a semi-shaded to sunny spot in humus-rich, well-drained soil, about 8 to 10 cm deep and with plenty of space. Strong daughter corms often flower as early as the following year (August/September); smaller ones are best grown on for another year in a pot or cold frame before you set them in their final place.
Sowing from seed is also possible, but requires a lot of patience: harvest the ripe seed capsule in early summer and sow the seeds immediately in pots or seed trays, which you place outdoors. The autumn crocus is a cold-stratification seed. Germination can take one to two years, and it is usually four to five years until the first flower. For home gardeners, sowing is therefore usually only worthwhile for naturalising larger areas.
Important: all parts of the autumn crocus are highly poisonous (colchicine). Always wear gloves when handling corms and seeds, work with clean tools and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
For your garden
Grow Autumn crocus yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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From the magazine
Planting spring bulbs in autumn: depth, timing and vole protection
How to plant tulips, daffodils and crocuses in autumn: twice as deep as tall, at the right time and protected from voles.
Naturalising Spring Bulbs in the Lawn: the Flower Carpet That Returns Every Year
Scatter crocus, snowdrops and daffodils into the lawn once, and they come back every spring and multiply. Here is how to build a natural flower carpet, from autumn planting to the one iron mowing rule.
Foraging Wild Garlic Safely: Telling It Apart From Its Three Dangerous Look-Alikes
Foraging wild garlic is easy once you know its poisonous look-alikes. Here is how to tell it apart from lily of the valley, autumn crocus and lords-and-ladies, and how to gather it hygienically.