Crocus chrysanthus
Encyclopedia
Crocus chrysanthus is a plant
of the Crocus
genus in the Iridaceae
family. It grows wild in the Balkans and Turkey with vivid orange-yellow flowers. It has smaller corms and a small cup shaped flower, compared to the Giant Dutch Crocus (Crocus vernus
), although produces more flowers per bulb than Crocus vernus. Its common name derives from the fact that it is an early crocus, blooming about two weeks earlier than the giant crocus, and may emerge through the snow in early spring. Its cultivar
s are used as ornamental plant
s. Leaves narrow and striped. Height: 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm).
An intensive selection and hybridation programme wat initiated by Jan Hoog (Van Tubergen nursery) and E.A. Bowles
. Several of their numerous selections are still available. Examples:
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
of the Crocus
Crocus
Crocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
genus in the Iridaceae
Iridaceae
The Iris family or Iridaceae is a family of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants included in the monocot order Asparagales, taking its name from the genus Iris. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in horticulture, it includes more than 2000 species...
family. It grows wild in the Balkans and Turkey with vivid orange-yellow flowers. It has smaller corms and a small cup shaped flower, compared to the Giant Dutch Crocus (Crocus vernus
Crocus vernus
Crocus vernus is a species in Family Iridaceae. Its cultivars and those of Crocus flavus are used as ornamental plants. The Dutch Crocusses are larger than the other cultivated crocus species...
), although produces more flowers per bulb than Crocus vernus. Its common name derives from the fact that it is an early crocus, blooming about two weeks earlier than the giant crocus, and may emerge through the snow in early spring. Its cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s are used as ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
s. Leaves narrow and striped. Height: 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm).
Cultivars
Crocus chrysanthus cultivars are selections from Crocus chrysanthus and hybrids of this species with several subsp. of Crocus biflorus and Crocus aerius. Yellow cultivars are selections of Crocus chrysanthus. Blue and white cultivars are hybrids or selections close to Crocus biflorus.An intensive selection and hybridation programme wat initiated by Jan Hoog (Van Tubergen nursery) and E.A. Bowles
Edward Augustus Bowles
Edward Augustus Bowles, VMH , known professionally as E. A. Bowles, was a British horticulturalist, plantsman and garden writer. He developed an important garden at Myddelton House, his lifelong home at Bulls Cross in Enfield, Middlesex and his name has been preserved in many varieties of...
. Several of their numerous selections are still available. Examples:
- ‘Advance’: inside yellow, outside violet-blue
- ‘Ard Schenk’: white with bronze throat
- ‘Blue Pearl’: pale lavendar or lobelia-blue with a bronze-yellow throat and base; rich blue tepal backs, paler within and with a yellow basal blotch
- ‘Blue Peter’: midnight blue outside, palest blue within
- ‘Cream Beauty’: creamy yellow with bronze throat
- ‘Goldilocks’: butter yellow with bronze feathering
- ‘Lady Killer’: Pale lilac-white interior and deep purple-violet exterior with white margins
- ‘Prince Claus’: white, blue flash on exterior
- ‘Romance’: inside creamy, outside blueish
- ‘Saturnus’: yellow inside, dark purple outside
- ‘Skyline’: insite light blue, outside bright blue
- ‘Snow Bunting’: white insite, outside creamy white with lilac feathering; bronze throat
- ‘Zwanenburg Bronze’: gold yellow, outside bronze