Vernal Crocus

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Crocus in various shades

In winter, even the smallest sign of spring is a burst of warmth. This week at London Town, we found spring Crocus blooming in the ornamental gardens. Crocus is a geophyte and it belongs to the Iris family (Iridaceae). Both autumn and spring Crocus are delightful, in some Crocus only the flowers come up and in others the flowers and leaves come out together.

"The life cycle of Crocus species begins with the seed, germinating to a seedling, and a mature plant in 3–5 years, however seeds may remain dormant in the soil for several years. In its first year, the crocus produces only a single leaf and creates a corm covered by a thin tunic. In the northern hemisphere, the autumnal crocuses flower between September and November. The vernal (spring) crocuses flowering time depends both on climate and habitat, but is usually mid-winter to spring. Leaves may be synanthous (produced during flowering) or hysteranthous (when the flowers wither away). In the summer, with hot and dry conditions the plant becomes dormant, with all the above ground parts dying back. Colder temperatures in winter then activate the corms". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocus

Crocus come in many different varieties, here is a link to the Pacific Bulb Society that gives a good glimpse into the different varieties of Crocus. https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Crocus

Crocus is the first to bloom, now awaiting many more spring blubs to open up!