Colchicum autumnale ‘Album’

This is the tiniest colchicum in my collection. I just got it in this autumn’s order from Odyssey Bulbs, and it was in full bud in the bag, a bit surprising since both Bowles and Russell Stafford say it blooms later than the straight species. I hope, as Stafford claims in his catalog copy, that it is indeed “a vigorous form, its abundance of bloom and rapidity of increase amply compensating for its relatively small flowers.” I am already thinking of moving it to the flower bed I showed you earlier. The petite white blossoms would fill in the gaps marvelously in the fall, but I have to see how vigorous the colchicum’s spring foliage is before I decide. It might overwhelm the spring ephemerals planted there. (Photo taken September 5th.)