Crocus chrysanthus Snow Bunting

Crocus chrysanthus 'Snow Bunting' is distinguished by its delicate and charming flowers, in small ivory-white cups, enhanced by a yellow heart and vibrant orange stamens. It is a vigorous small bulbous plant, whose lively little bulbs flower very early in the season, just after snowdrops. Easy to grow, it naturalises in beds or rockeries, in well-drained soil. A delightful, floriferous, and reliable variety, awarded as such.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Snow Bunting' belongs to the Iridaceae family. Its ancestor originates from Turkey and the Balkan Peninsula. 'Snow Bunting', often considered one of the best varieties, received the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993. This prolific plant forms significant colonies in upright tufts measuring 12cm (5in) in height. It has a rapid rate of growth and multiplication. The flowering takes place from February to March, depending on the climate. The plants bear a multitude of cup-shaped flowers, which open into stars in a dazzling ivory-white with a bright yellow throat. The reverse of the petals is marked at the base with a lilac-tinged fawn. The heart of the flower is filled with bright orange-yellow stamens grouped in a 'tube'. The flowers close at night and in bad weather, opening in the sun and even in semi-shade. The foliage is deciduous, composed of fine, thick linear leaves, which are simple and alternate. They are a shiny medium green with a white-silver central stripe. The 'bulbs' here are corms. A corm is, in plant morphology, an underground storage organ that looks like a bulb, but is formed from a swollen stem surrounded by scales.

Crocuses are undisputed stars of the garden, as they are the first signs of spring. Crocus chrysanthus 'Snow Bunting' works wonders in rockeries, beds, and along pathways. It will also thrive on the edge of light woodland with primroses, along a hedge, planted en masse at the base of deciduous trees (lilacs, mock oranges, viburnums) with hellebores and Cyclamen coum, or in the middle of a lawn with winter aconites, snowdrops, or a carpet of violets, and of course, with other early-flowering crocuses. This crocus is also suitable for planting in outdoor pots and can be used in green roofs.

Crocus roots can contract like a spring, allowing the plant to settle at its ideal depth.