Nothing signals the end of winter quite like the first Crocus. Long before the Tulips and Daffodils have stirred, even before the last frost has fully released its grip on the garden, the Crocus pushes up through the cold ground with her cheerful little cup-shaped blooms in shades of purple, white, and yellow. She is a tiny plant, rarely exceeding 4–6 inches in height, but her impact on the garden at that particular moment in late winter and early spring is disproportionate to her size. Hardy in zones 3–8 depending on variety, Crocus naturalizes beautifully and returns every year, often multiplying into larger and more generous drifts with each passing season.
Small in Stature, Large in Joy
The Crocus is a plant that rewards thoughtful placement. Plant her in generous drifts of 25 to 50 corms or more, and she creates a carpet-like display that is nothing short of magical when she opens all at once on a warm February or March morning. She is stunning naturalized in lawn grass. Simply scatter and plant the corms at random for a naturalistic effect, then let the lawn grow just a bit longer in spring until the Crocus foliage has died back after blooming. She is equally lovely massed at the base of deciduous trees and shrubs, tucked into rock gardens, or planted along a path edge where her blooms can be appreciated at close range.
Crocus serves as a welcome source of nectar for early-emerging bees on the rare warm winter days when most other flowers are nowhere to be found. Plant a generous supply and consider the kindness you are doing for the earliest pollinators of the season.
Planting and Care
Watch our step-by-step planting tutorial below, then follow along with the written guide for all the details.
Plant Crocus corms in fall alongside your other spring-flowering bulbs. Choose a location with partial to full sun and good drainage, as Crocus will not perform well in wet or poorly drained soil. Dig holes 4–6 inches deep, work a teaspoon of Heirloom™ Bone Meal into the bottom of the hole, and plant corms 2–3 inches apart with the pointed end facing up. For a naturalized effect, scatter the corms loosely across the planting area and plant them where they land, spacing irregularly for a more organic look. Water once after planting, then not again until spring.
In spring, Crocus needs very little feeding if the soil is reasonably fertile. If you wish to give them a boost, a light application of Founders Fish Fertilizer™ as foliage emerges can support a more prolific bloom. Allow the small, grass-like foliage to die back completely after blooming before mowing or removing. Typically just 4–6 weeks after bloom, the foliage will be fully yellowed and can be cut back or simply left to disappear on its own.
Crocus corms multiply naturally over time, and clumps should be lifted and divided every 3–4 years when they become crowded and flowering begins to diminish. Divide in summer after the foliage has completely died back, separate the corms, and replant immediately or store in a cool, dry location until fall.
Three of our favorites to plant this fall are: Remembrance, a rich and velvety deep blue-violet that is one of the most beloved crocus varieties in the world; Jeanne d’Arc, a luminous pure white with a graceful simplicity that is stunning planted in drifts; and Pickwick, a cheerful striped variety in silvery-lilac with dark purple stripes that brings a lovely graphic quality to the early spring garden.