About
Crocus biflorus subsp. biflorus is a compact, perennial corm that typically reaches a height of 8 cm. Its leaves are long and narrow, featuring a distinct white stripe running down the center against a dark green background. From late winter to early spring, each corm can yield as many as four goblet-shaped flowers, which are white or pale lilac in color, adorned with purple stripes on the exterior of the three outer petals.
About the genus
Crocus are small, deciduous perennials that emerge from corms. They feature narrow leaves, often marked with a silvery stripe down the center. The flowers, which can be fragrant, are goblet-shaped and appear in either autumn or early spring.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Bulbs
- Habit
- Tufted
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- Up to 10 cm
- Spread
- 0-0.1 metre
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Rock garden, Wildlife gardens
- Toxicity
- Ornamental bulbs - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Ornamental bulbs - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in gritty, well-drained, poor to moderately fertile, preferably alkaline soil in full sun. See crocus cultivation for more advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by division of established clumps, by separating cormlets when dormant, or by seed sown in pots in a cold frame when ripe
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to rodents and birds
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free, corms may rot in storage