Colchicum season has started! In general, colchicums seem to be emerging earlier than usual–but why? Because it was cooler than usual? Because it was rainier than usual? Or both combined? I don’t know.
Pushing the zone
But I do know that I have deliberately sought out some colchicums that bloom earlier so that the season of bloom in my garden is extended. And to do that, I had to go a little bit out of my comfort zone–I mean, my hardiness zone. Yes, I have dared to plant some corms only rated as hardy to USDA Zone 6, and I am a cold Zone 5.
I planted them in the Herb Garden, which has the best drainage of any garden bed, and also is a warm microclimate. Shall we begin?
Karin Persson is a retired botanist who specialized in colchicums. This colchicum was named after her when she identified it as a form of C. autumnale. It blooms earlier than any of the other variants of that species. According to members of the Crocus and Colchicum Facebook group, this is a form of Colchicum speciosum. The earliest it’s ever bloomed for me before was September 8th, but often it’s later than that. Indeed, several corms of this same plant, just to the left of these flowers, are just starting to emerge. Or perhaps one is mis-named. Colchicums often seem to be mis-identified. It’s frustrating. This is another favorite of mine. The color is not quite as intense as Disraeli/Beaconsfield, but it attains its full color quickly and is strong and vigorous.Come see my colchicums!
So that’s what’s been blooming for the first couple of weeks of Colchicum Season. If you’d like to see dozens of colchicum varieties blooming in one place, I’m opening my garden to the public on September 30th. Details here. ‘Karin Persson’ and Colchicum graecum are done blooming, but many more kinds will emerge by the end of September, and some of the others pictured here may still be blooming. After all, I had 19 different kinds of colchicums blooming on October 7th last year. A week earlier, even more were blooming.
I am newly inspired to find a place for colchicums – probably near the south border which is dry enough and public enough to please passers-by.
More successful plant associations would be welcome as I feel colchicums need neighbouring plants for support – even plants for them to grow through.
Some colchicums, such as the Jochem Hof and TBD in this post, have nice sturdy tubes and don’t need support, though it may look nice to have plants around them. (The TBD lean because they really don’t get as much sun as they would like.) However, ‘Karin Persson’ has rather thin tubes. I might start growing this one through catmint or hardy geraniums. In both cases these companion plants would need to be cut back after blooming, so that they aren’t too tall when the colchicums bloom. Shorter forms of dianthus would be another option for support.
Beautiful! Blooms in August??? Wow. Great luck with your garden opening and showing off those colchicums!
You know I’ll be there!
So pretty, but not in Zone 4. I will have to do a search and see if I can find any varieties of colchicums that are hardy here. I would love to come and see yours.
Joanna, many colchicums are hardy to Zone 4, even if the catalog doesn’t say so. C. graecum (at least I never tried it at my old house) is not, but I successfully grew C. speciosum, C. autumnale, and C. byzantinum in all their forms in Zone 4. And I could grow many others as long as I gave them good drainage by digging a goodly amount of grit into the soil.
The colchicums which you sent me are now popping up with color. Thank you, thank you. I do love them.
I wish I could visit you on the 30th… but I can’t. Hope the day is sunny and that lots of people come to admire the garden.
Beautiful. I should check on my one little corm – it is somewhat covered by daylily foliage.
Yes, Oksana, take a look and trim back the daylily foliage if needed.
A few of my colchicums are up and blooming, too, but I’ve long forgotten the varieties, though I know some came from you. Thank you! And if I lived closer, I would definitely come see your colchicums on 09/30!