COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE
Autumn Crocus
Meadow Saffron
Naked Ladies
Naked Boys
Upstart
A genus of hardy to half
hardy cormous perennials
with goblet-shaped
flowers, mainly blooming
from autumn to spring,
before the emergence of
leaves which remain until
mid summer. Most
require a sunny position
and are suitable for
naturalizing in grass .
The name Colchicum comes from Colchis, a mountainous
area that borders the Black Sea in Georgia and is home to
many of the species as well as being the fabled land of the
‘Golden Fleece’.
Most grow in sub alpine meadows or on stony (sometimes
wooded) hillsides.
Colchicums are also native to Europe (including the UK),
North Africa, West & Central Asia, Northern India & Western
China.
These plants have been recorded in early
herbal guides as a treatment for
inflammation.
It is already used for gout and other arthritic
conditions.
The Colchicum has a toxic element, the
alkaloid called colchecine which is used to
slow the growth and even kill a range of
different cancers.
Because colchecine is toxic to other tissues
also, scientists have altered this molecule so
it is inactive until it reaches the tumour.
The use of the roots and seeds in traditional
medicine is thought to have arisen due to the
presence of this drug.
Its leaves, seeds and corm are poisonous.
The murderess Catherine Wilson is thought
to have used it to poison a number of
victims in the 19th century.
There are about 45
species in the genus with
‘crocus–like’ flowers, few
of which are in
cultivation.
The root of the
colchicum is an
elongated corm.
These autumn
flowering plants have
blooms emerging
from September
through to
November.
Some varieties being
subdued white to a
pink hue while
others provide
splashes of vivid
purple-red and deep
purple flowers.
Although they
look like
crocuses they
belong to the
Lily family – not
the Iris family,
which is the
family of the
crocus.
To tell the difference between colchicums and
spring flowering crocus –
The colchicum has six stamens and three styles
and the flower cups the seed receptacle.
The crocus has three stamens and one style and
the seed receptacle is below the flower.
These are mine……..
Colchicum luteum
This is unique in being the only
yellow Colchicum - all others
are pink,white or shades of
purple.
It makes attractive clusters of
small, vivid yellow or yelloworange flowers from midFebruary on, depending on
your climate. In Caneja they
come up after the first
September rain.
They like a very well-drained,
summer-dry, sunny spot
outside, or a bulb frame would
be ideal. It will grow well also
under glass in a pot or pan. It
needs nothing warmer than
frost-free (i.e. not tropical!)
with good air circulation in
winter as it will start into leaf
soon after the flowers are
made.
If you would
like to create
a drift of
colour
without
having to buy
a lot of plants,
C. Autumnale
is ideal, as it
increases
quickly. Just
a few corms
planted under
a tree or large
shrub will
increase at
least four fold
in a few years.
It’s very easy to make new plants from the offsets
that are regularly produced by Autumn Crocus
corms. Plants can also be grown from seed but this
takes almost 5 years from sowing to flowering.
The corms should be planted 6-9 inches apart, the
top 2inches below the surface of the ground during
July or August.
Colchicums
are obviously
a popular and
well-loved
plant!
They made stamps with their
pictures on!!