About
Crocus 'Ruby Giant' produces reddish-purple blooms in spring, revealing a vivid orange stigma as the flowers unfold.
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, North-facing, West-facing, East-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
- Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, City and courtyard gardens, Rock garden, Wildflower meadow, 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
- A cormous plant that requires a well-drained and sunny situation. Plant 5-6cm deep in late summer or early autumn. You may feed after flowering when leaves are still in active growth. Suitable for naturalising in grass, see bulbs: naturalising. See crocus cultivation for more advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Remove cormlets when dormant or propagate by division
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to rodents and birds
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free, corms may rot in storage