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Crocus tommasinianus Lilac Beauty - Early Crocus

Crocus tommasinianus Lilac Beauty
Woodland crocus, Tommasini's crocus, Early crocus

12 reviews
3,9/5
6 reviews
3 reviews
0 reviews
1 reviews
2 reviews

Approximately 1/3 of what I had planted has emerged, but more importantly, they are much more stunted than I expected, nothing like the photo on the website." Analysis: - "sorti" is translated as "emerged" to convey the idea of the plants coming out of the ground. - "planté" is translated as "planted". - "rachitiques" is translated as "stunted" to describe the plants being smaller and weaker than expected. - "rien à voir avec" is translated as "nothing like" to express the contrast between the actual plants and the photo on the website.

evelyne, 23/02/2019

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

Early-flowering crocus with light lilac-blue cup-shaped flowers and silver undersides. It provides a beautiful flowering at the end of winter. It easily naturalises in the cool areas of the garden, even in shade. This variety is among the easiest to cultivate. 
Flower size
5 cm
Height at maturity
10 cm
Spread at maturity
10 cm
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -23°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil, Moist soil
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Best planting time September to October
Recommended planting time September to December
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Flowering time February to March
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Description

Crocus tommasinianus 'Lilac Beauty', also known as Thomas' crocus, Tommasini crocus or Serbian crocus, is an early-flowering bulbous plant with light lilac-blue cups with a silver reverse, highlighted at the throat by a cluster of bright orange stamens. Rare in our gardens, this cultivar derived from a sought-after botanical species is nevertheless among the easiest to grow. It offers a beautiful flowering at the end of winter. This plant will naturalise in cool and sunny or even shaded areas of the garden, or in a rockery.

 

Crocus tommasinianus 'Lilac Beauty' belongs to the Iridaceae family. It originates from Hungary, Croatia, the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro), and Bulgaria, and has naturalised in the Netherlands and the British Isles. This prolific plant forms significant colonies in upright tufts measuring 10cm (4in) in height. It has a rapid growth rate. Flowering takes place from February to March. The plants bear elongated cup-shaped flowers. They are light lavender-blue with a bright white-silver reverse, also present at the throat. The foliage is deciduous, composed of narrow, thick linear leaves, which are simple and alternate. They are shiny medium green with a white-silver central strip. The 'bulbs' here are corms. A corm is, in plant morphology, an underground storage organ that resembles a bulb but is formed by a swollen stem surrounded by scales.

'Lilac Beauty' works wonders in a rockery when its flowering emerges from stones bleached by the sun. It will also thrive on the edge of light woodland, along a hedge, planted en masse at the base of deciduous trees (spindle tree, heather, camellia) with Anemone blanda and Cyclamen coum, or in the middle of a lawn with winter aconites, snowdrops, or a carpet of violets, and of course, combined with other early-flowering crocuses. This crocus is well-suited for outdoor container planting and is suitable for green roofs.

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

 

Plant habit

Height at maturity 10 cm
Spread at maturity 10 cm
Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour blue
Flowering time February to March
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 5 cm

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Crocus

Species

tommasinianus

Cultivar

Lilac Beauty

Family

Iridaceae

Other common names

Woodland crocus, Tommasini's crocus, Early crocus

Origin

Middle East

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Planting and care

'Lilac Beauty' grows in moist, humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soils. It prefers a sunny exposure where its corollas can fully open. It is also important to protect it from cold winds. The ideal substrate should be sandy-gravelly with a pH between 8 and 10. It tolerates temperatures down to -29°C (-20.2°F). It withstands summer drought. Its natural habitat is the edge of the hedgerows and open areas. Planting should be done in autumn, burying the corms 8cm (3in) deep and spacing them 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) apart. The plants have the best effect when planted in groups of 5 to 10 specimens. Once acclimatised and established, they multiply rapidly through spontaneous sowing, not always true to the parent plant. 'Lilac Beauty' requires no special maintenance. Care must be taken not to cut the foliage before it turns yellow. Corms are susceptible to excess moisture, which can cause them to rot during their resting period. Rodents are fond of these corms, and snails and slugs feed on all aerial parts of the plant.

Planting period

Best planting time September to October
Recommended planting time September to December
Planting depth 8 cm

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery, Shaded rockery, Woodland edge
Type of use Border, Edge of border, Container, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -23°C (USDA zone 6a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 250 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Any
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, well-drained

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
3,9/5

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