Cup-shaped purple, lilac or white spring bulb that opens in the first warm sun of the year. Critical pollen source for emerging queen bumblebees.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 3–8 | −40 °C to −6.7 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H7 | down to −20 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 3–8 | −34 °C to −1 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 1–5 | −15 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
About Spring crocus
Crocuses are among the earliest bulbs to flower and are an important early nectar source, opening in response to warmth so that the flowers close again in cold or dull weather. The saffron crocus is a different, autumn-flowering species, and saffron is its dried stigmas — three per flower, hand-picked, which is the entire reason for its cost. Spring crocuses grow from corms rather than true bulbs, a solid stem base rather than layered scales, and they multiply steadily by producing new corms alongside the old.
Growing notes
- Among the very first flowers of spring — a classic seasonal marker
- Critical early pollen source for emerging queen bumblebees
- Plant in drifts of a hundred or more for genuine pollinator value
- Distinct from the autumn-flowering saffron crocus (C. sativus)
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Spring crocus against your zones