California Gardening: Fall/Winter Bulbs in California, 1 by chrisw99

chrisw99 wrote:
Crocus laevigatus 'Fontenayi'

Another fall /winter bloomer--supposed to bloom reliably for Christmas. This one bulb seems a bit early, but the other 4 sprouts (out of 10 that I planted) still only have leaves.

C laevigatus is very tiny--only about 2-3 in high-- and very beautifully colored--lilac purple feathering on the 3 outer petals and that gold throat. Definitely something to be grown in pots where you can bring it closer to eye level . When and if the other 4 sprouts bloom I will try to get a photo of the closed bloom. So far my attempts with this one have not succeeded and I would like to try with a fresh bud.

It is found in Greece and surrounding islands in open, stoney ground, so I am hopeful that it will multiply in our Mediteranean climate.


Chris