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Crocus
Crocus
Crocus blooms from February through March.
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 Crocus
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 4 in tall and 3 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Crocus
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 3 to 8. It pays you back the following February to March.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 5 in September.
Comes in 11 varieties across 4 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Crocus
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Only mildly toxic: ingestion causes GI upset (drooling, vomiting, diarrhea) in dogs, cats and horses. Do not confuse it with deadly autumn crocus (Colchicum). per ASPCA
Worth knowing
Tell them apart: spring crocus blooms in spring with leaves and has three stamens; deadly autumn crocus is leafless in fall and has six. per ASPCA and NC State
Naturalizing crocus in a lawn
Iowa State warns against crocus in lawns, since grass gets mowed before the foliage ripens. But early small species (snow crocus, Tommies) finish before the first cut. per Iowa State and University of Illinois
Rodents dig corms; deer don't
Squirrels, chipmunks and voles dig and eat newly planted corms; deer generally leave crocus alone. Protect corms with wire mesh, grit, or interplanting with daffodils. per NC State and Clemson
Choose small early species
Small early species (snow crocus, C. tommasinianus) bloom earliest, naturalize best into drifts, feed early bees, and persist where rodents are troublesome; large Dutch crocus is less reliable. per University of Maryland and Clemson
Early food for bees
As one of the first bulbs to flower (often February to March), crocus feeds honey bees and bumble bee queens on warm days when little else is open. per University of Illinois and NC State
Let leaves die back
Leave the foliage for about six weeks after bloom so it refuels the corm; do not cut or mow it early. Divide crowded clumps about every four years. per NC State
What pairs well with 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 water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Creeping Sedum
Shares full sun and low water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Blue Oat Grass
Shares full sun and low water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Fountain Grass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer, before this one opens; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed'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.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Cosmos
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
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