Crocus tommasinianus "Barr's Purple" - is a perennial ephemeroid plant that belongs to the iris family.
This plant is often called "Snow Crocus" for obvious reasons. It blooms well before Dutch hybrids awaken. Therefore, you can enjoy a long crocus bloom if you plant both. The petals are narrow, pointed. The perianth tube is light, short, vertical, stem-like. The leaves are shiny, narrow, dark green, about 7 cm long. They begin to grow from the bulb during flowering and fully develop after flowering. The corms are oblong-spherical, slightly flattened. They usually produce about 3 flowers.
It is suitable for mass plantings on lawns, under trees, in rock gardens, or for creating compositions in containers.
Planting. Soils for planting can be any, but they must be well-drained. Crocuses do not grow in acidic soils. Choose a sunny or semi-shady spot for planting. Crocuses look good in groups in borders, on rockeries, on lawns. You can create intricate patterns with them. Crocus bulbs are planted from September to the end of December. Prepare the soil for planting in advance. Loosen it to a depth of 30 cm, then add compost. Since bulbous plants are too sensitive to moisture, they can be planted in sand. To do this, dig a hole with a flat bottom and a size, for example, 5 cm wide and 30 cm long. Then pour a thin layer of sand around the entire perimeter, no more than 2 cm high. Place the bulbs on top of the sand, with their pointed ends facing up. Then carefully fill the hole with earth, without tamping it down. The planting depth should be equal to two bulb heights. The planting distance between the bulbs is from 3 to 10 cm.
Care. Crocuses are undemanding in care. They do not need watering. They get enough moisture from the soil after the snow melts. Fresh manure is contraindicated for crocuses. Every 4-5 years, crocus "nests" need to be divided. If necessary, flowering crocuses can be transplanted (with a clod of earth).