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Autumn Crocus
Colchicum
Autumn Crocus blooms from September through October.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Autumn Crocus
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 6 in tall and 4 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Autumn Crocus
Autumn Crocus is a fall-planted bulb: get it in the ground 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes, typically September or October across zones 4 to 9. It flowers that same fall, September to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in September.
Comes in 5 varieties across 2 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Autumn Crocus
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Deadly. Every part, especially the corm, holds colchicine, a potent toxin with no antidote. Eating any of it can kill people, dogs, cats and horses; a medical emergency. per ASPCA and PMC
Worth knowing
The same colchicine that makes every part deadly is exactly why deer, rabbits and rodents refuse it. Its worst danger and its best garden virtue are one property. per NC State and Michigan State
Coldest zone it survives
Its cold limit is disputed: NC State lists zone 4, but Wisconsin and Illinois call zone 5 reliable. In zone 4, mulch it or pick a hardier species. per Wisconsin and Illinois
Not a crocus, not saffron
Despite the name, it is not a true crocus and not the source of culinary saffron, which comes from the true fall-blooming Crocus sativus. per Ohio State
Leafless fall flowers
Strap leaves emerge in spring and die back by summer; then the flowers rise from bare ground in fall with no foliage, hence 'naked ladies'. per NC State
Late-season bee forage
The autumn flowers draw bees and butterflies, offering late-season nectar when little else is blooming. Value is listed by extensions, not from a visitation study. per NC State
Foragers mistake it fatally
The worst human poisonings come from spring foragers mistaking its leaves for wild garlic; in one series 95 percent of accidental cases had eaten this plant instead. per PubMed
What pairs well with Autumn Crocus
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in midsummer, before this one opens; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in midsummer and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; opens in midsummer and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 5.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early summer, before this one opens; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in midsummer and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 6.6 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Cleome
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 3.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
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