Plant Colchicum Now for Blooms This Fall — Enchanted Gardens

by David Burdick

Last fall, I saw that Jana was presenting a program at the Berkshire Botanical Garden on FallScaping. Thinking she might somewhere in the presentation mention the autumn flowering bulbs of the genus Colchicum, I sent her the list of the ones I grow commercially in Western Massachusetts for mail order sales. After taking a look at it, she must have realized that I am a bit obsessed with them. Because many gardeners remain unfamiliar with them or are unsure of how to use them in their landscapes, she graciously offered me the opportunity to share a bit of what I know about these marvelously weird bulbs through her blog.

As a gardener in New England, I dread the coming of the first killing frost. All the tropicals in pots have to be moved in, and much of the riot of annual flowers that has made the growing season so colorful is abruptly gone. I soon realize though, that by no means is the garden or gardening finished for the year. Fall brings some of the bluest skies and nicest weather for working outside. Beautiful perennials like Sanguisorba canadensis, Vernonia and a number of asters continue to bloom. Others like Amsonia hubrichtii and Lysimachia clethroides have foliage that turns fantastic colors. We also see the appearance of the Colchicums, with their clusters of  4”-8” stemmed wine goblets in every shade from rosy-pink to purple and white magically mushrooming out of the ground seemingly overnight. Their flowers resemble Crocus, hence their common name of “Autumn Crocus.” They are marvelous.