#811 Colchicum autumnale Common Names: autumn crocus, meadow saffron, naked ladies Family: Liliaceae (lily Family) Get link to this Profile or click for Datasheet

Closeup showing the presence of six stamens which is typical of the the autumn crocus while the spring crocuses (Crocus spp.) have three.

Location
Colchicum autumnal is the most well known and widely cultivated of the autumn crocuses. It comes originally from Europe where it grows wild from southern England, Spain and Portugal to Russia.

Culture

Light: Full sun to partial shade in hotter climates.
Moisture: Autumn crocus likes a well drained soil that doesn't completely dry out. It doesn't need any moisture in its dormant season (summer), but it likes some water during the flowering period. This species tolerates wetter soils better than any other Colchicum.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 4 - 8. C. autumnale is the most cold hardy of the autumn crocuses, and easily survives winter temperatures a little below 0ºF (-17ºC).
Propagation: Established clumps may be divided while they are dormant every 3 years or so. Plant corms 4-6 in (10-15 cm) apart and so that the tops are 2-4 in (5-10 cm) below the ground surface; deeper in sandy soils and more shallow in compact soils. They should be planted in summer. Corms that don't get planted in time will bloom anyway!

Usage
Autumn crocus can be naturalized in a meadow garden or allowed to grow through grass or other low growing ground covers. In fact, the ground cover is usually necessary to keep the flowers from falling over in rain and wind. For indoor display, the corms can be forced to flower once without any soil. Set them upright on a bed of pebbles in a bowl of water.

Also called naked ladies, the autumn crocus flower stem emerges directly from the ground before the leaves which appear several weeks later.

The poisonous compound colchicine, derived from autumn crocus, affects chromosomes and cell division. It is used to treat several kinds of cancer and to induce mutations and polyploidy (increases in the number of chromosomes) in plant breeding programs.

The most common fall blooming crocuses in cultivation are:

For a similar list of spring-blooming crocus, see the Profile of the Dutch crocus Crocus vernus.

WARNING
All parts of autumn crocus are highly toxic if ingested and contact with the skin may cause irritation.

Steve Christman 9/25/00; updated 8/19/03

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