Crocus are one of the first flowers to bloom each spring. In cold climates, their cheery blossoms that often open when there’s still snow on the ground. Crocus flowers come in Easter egg colors of purple, yellow, lavender, cream and white. Over time, these carefree bulbs will naturalize and multiply to produce more flowers every year. Crocus blossoms are magnets for hungry bees, who are drawn to the rich, golden pollen inside each flower.

Crocus is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family comprising 90 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The spice saffron is obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species.

The Crocus is one of over 80 species of flowers that generally bloom between late winter and spring. Some do bloom in the fall.

The foliage is short, and the flowers are small and goblet-shaped. They can occur in a variety of colors, from blue and purple to yellow or cream. Some even have feathering on the petals. The cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flower tapers off into a narrow tube.

Their colors vary enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow, and white are predominant. The grass-like, ensiform leaf shows generally a white central stripe along the leaf axis. The leaf margin is entire.

A crocus has three stamens, while a similar-looking toxic plant, Colchicum, sometimes popularly referred to as “autumn crocus”, has six stamens. In addition, crocus have one style, while Colchicum have three.

We’ll be sharing more about this flower in future.