About
Crocus cartwrightianus is a perennial corm that produces several slender leaves alongside its blossoms in the autumn or early winter. The flowers are lilac-purple, prominently marked with deep purple veins, and feature long, deep red stigmas.
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
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
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, Mediterranean climate plants, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Rock garden, Wildlife gardens
- Native to
- Greece
- Fragrance
- Flower
- 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 a bulb frame or alpine house in a mix of equal parts loam, leaf mould and sharp sand or grit. Water freely in the growing season and apply a low-nitrogen fertiliser monthly. Keep completely dry in summer dormancy. See crocus cultivation for more advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame when ripe or remove cormlets when dormant
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to rodents and birds
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free, corms may rot in storage