WRONG Crocus!!!

[Herb]

Last year I saw, at a garden shop, some packages labelled "Saffron Crocus".

We already had one small bed of them, but I was making another one.

Today my wife said - "Why are they coming up now?" So I went & looked - and saw these. The leaves look very much like our Saffron Crocus leaves and not much like our ordinary crocuses.

But I don't see how they can be Saffron Crocus, because there's no sign of the orange stigmas, and in any case, Saffron Crocus flower not now, but in late Summer or early Fall.

Now I wish I could find the receipt & remember exactly where I bought them!!!

[oldcoot]

They sure are pretty. Glad to see them blooming...

john that Old Coot.............

[patsue53]

Frustrating not to get what you were promised.....but they are awfullly pretty.

[Old earth dog]

Mine were blooming today when it was 71F outside. It's now down in the 20s......again.

[thy]

Looking a lot like Blue Pearl... yours are lovely and tell you spring is just around he corner
Pia

[renaldo75]

If I remember correctly, a few of the the fall blooming crocus that were here when I moved here occaisionally do bloom in the spring.

[I'd never heard of fall blooming crocus until I saw these & thought there was something wrong with them for years. LOL]

[Herb]

I must say, I don't think I could distinguish - purely from its appearance - between a spring flowering crocus and an ordinary fall-flowering one (i.e. a Colchicum).

Saffron Crocus on the other hand (they bloom about a month later than Colchicums) are unmistakeable because of the long, orange stigmas - which is just as well, because I've read that Colchicums are deadly poisonous! Unfortunately, Colchicums are also called "Meadow Saffron" & seeing how poisonous they are I think the name's dangerously misleading.

Here are two pictures of the real thing - i.e. Saffron crocus. The long orange stigmas really stand out.

[renaldo75]

Interesting. I don't think mine have the long orange part.