Crocus tommasinianus "Whitewell Purple" - this variety stands out from others with its spectacular flowers and early blooming.
Distinctive characteristics:
- Crocus Whitewell Purple belongs to the Botanical Crocuses group.
- The rich reddish-purple color with a pale center and golden-orange anthers captivates with its beauty.
- It grows up to 10 cm in height.
- It blooms early, like all wild crocuses, in February-March.
- It has elegant six-petaled flowers that open and close on sunny days.
- When fully open, they take on a star-like shape.
- The petals are narrow, pointed.
- The perianth tube is light.
- The flower size is about 5 cm in diameter.
- The leaves are shiny, narrow, dark green, about 7 cm long. They start to grow from the bulb during flowering and fully develop after flowering.
- The corms are oblong-globose, slightly flattened.
- They usually produce 3 buds.
- Flowering period: 20 days.
- This plant is frost-resistant: it does not require winter protection.
- It propagates by dividing overgrown corm nests in autumn.
Tommasini's Crocus or Crocus tommasinianus blooms well before the Dutch hybrids awaken. This plant is often called "Snow Crocus" for obvious reasons. It is a perennial ephemeroid plant and belongs to the Iris family. Other names for the species: Tommasini's Saffron, Neapolitan Saffron, Neapolitan Crocus. It is one of the most cold-hardy crocuses! In the wild, it thrives in Hungary and the Balkan Peninsula. This crocus blooms in late winter - early spring for 3-4 weeks (and in May, it enters a dormant period).
Crocus Whitewell Purple requires spring sun to accumulate enough food and form a new flower by autumn. After the foliage has matured, shade is not a problem for the plant, so choose companions for the crocus carefully.