Tecophilaea cyanocrocus

The Blue Chilean Crocus, Tecophilaea cyanocrocus in Latin, came very close to disappearing from its native Chilean Andes. Victim of the success of its uniquely scented blue flowers, which could rival the most beautiful sapphire, this adorable little bulbous plant, miraculously rediscovered in 2001, owes its survival to passionate British enthusiasts who patiently multiplied and acclimatized it in alpine greenhouses. This little marvel is now saved and available to enthusiasts worldwide. To successfully cultivate it, one must remember its origins and provide it with a well-draining, sandy and humus-rich soil, dry in summer and winter. Its resistance to frost is also linked to the dryness of the soil.

The Blue Chilean Crocus is a plant from the family Tecophilaeaceae native to the Cordillera de Santiago, where it spontaneously grows at an altitude of 3000m (9842ft) on rocky and dry slopes, protected by a snowy blanket in winter. This botanical species flowers in our climates in February or March, depending on the climate. Its cup-shaped flowers, solitary or more often borne in pairs, are carried by stems 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) long. They bloom into stunning bicoloured star-shaped flowers with 6 oval petals, 5cm (2in) wide. The centre of the flower is marked by a small almost black area and fine white stripes. The flowers easily produce seeds, contained in a small triangular capsule. These seeds germinate easily after a period of cold. The foliage is deciduous, composed of 2 or 3 linear leaves, 12cm (5in) long and 4 to mm wide, with a slightly shiny bronze-green colour. The 'bulbs' are actually corms. A corm is an underground storage organ that resembles a bulb but is formed by a swollen stem, an almost spherical rootstock, surrounded by a fibrous tunic. Like many crocuses, this Tecophilaea goes dormant in summer. In our climates, its growth resumes in autumn or winter.

The Blue Chilean Crocus is known for being a temperamental plant, difficult to cultivate and frost-sensitive. According to some sources, it can still withstand -10°C (14°F) in dry soil. Outside Mediterranean regions, it is preferable to cultivate it in a pot to protect it from summer rains and the damp cold of winter. As an alternative, these pots can be placed directly in the ground during the warmer months, removed and kept dry in summer, and protected in winter. Pair its unbelievably blue flowers with those of the Golden Crocus, Crocus chrysanthus, they will emerge at around the same time from stones bleached by the sun. This little bulbous plant also thrives when planted in pots for outdoor use.