The Crocus

GardenLine | Porpourri - Miscellaneous | The Crocus

Brian Baldwin

Whenever I experience the joy of finding the first spring crocus, I try to imagine the even greater joy that these little flowers must have brought to early European settlers. Having endured their first winters in isolated tiny shacks on the frigid prairie, the sight of the spring's first flowers must have brought hope and joy beyond what we can imagine in our comfortable lives today.

It was the European settlers who named these little flowers crocuses; not because they are related to the crocuses of Europe, but because they are the first to bloom Ų like the crocuses of home. Prior to European settlement Blackfoot Indians called them "napi" which translates to "old man," and is thought to be a reference to the grey feathery seeds which arise above the plants in June.

The familiar prairie crocus (Anemone patens) is a member of the buttercup family and should not be confused with the white, yellow and mauve crocuses we plant with our fall bulbs. These horticultural crocuses are also the source of saffron, one of the world's most expensive spices. The stigmas of approximately 150 crocuses must be harvested to obtain a single gram of saffron, and at current supermarket prices a gram is selling for $12.

Because they are usually found only on sites where the original sod has never been broken, prairie crocuses are becoming more and more rare with each passing year.

If you would like to grow a clump of crocuses in your perennial garden, it is important that you not attempt to transplant established plants from the wild. While transplanting them is not illegal, they seldom re-establish successfully, and it depletes the natural populations.

You may wish to try starting some from seed. Crocus seeds are produced in fluffy grey heads and are usually ripe by mid June. If you can blow the seeds off with a puff of breath, they're ripe enough to be collected. Some sources claim the seeds germinate most successfully if planted fresh, while others recommend that they be chilled in moist sand for a few months prior to planting.

By far, the best way to obtain a crocus plant is to purchase one at a nursery which specializes in native plants. These will have been grown from seed and will be ready to plant into a sunny location in your perennial bed.

If you desire a plant that is very similar to the native crocus, but a bit more showy, the European pasque flower (Anemone pulsatilla) is an excellent choice. This plant is almost identical to a prairie crocus, except it has larger more darkly coloured flowers and tends to feel more at home in a perennial garden.

One last thing. If you're tempted to pick wild crocus flowers and take them home, you should expect to infest your house plants with thrips. Every crocus flower I've seen has been crawling with these pesky insects, so you would be well advised to admire them in their natural setting and leave them for others to see.

Sustainable horticultural information, offered free of charge to the public with the support of the University of Saskatchewan Extension Division, the Department of Plant Sciences and the Provincial Government.