Types of crocuses: descriptions of the best varieties, what are and how they are grown + photo

Different types and varieties of crocuses are grown to decorate garden beds or in indoor flower pots. These delicate, violet-scented flowers appear in early spring. However, there are many varieties that bloom in autumn. In southern countries, crocuses are grown for the expensive spice - saffron powder.

Classification of crocuses and their features

Crocuses are perennial flowering plants from the Iris family. Grow in the southern steppes, mountain meadows, forests. The flower grows wild in the states of the Mediterranean, in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Likes open sunny places and well-drained soils.

Crocuses are also called saffron. Everyone knows the yellow spice made from the stigma of this flower. In the old days, such a seasoning was worth its weight in gold. Medicines were made from saffron in the countries of the East, they were used in cooking, for embalming corpses, for dyeing clothes yellow. In the 11th century, during the Crusades, saffron was brought to Europe and used as a spice for a long time.

Only in the 16th century did decorative crocuses appear in European gardens. The first garden flowers are Dutch hybrids (Yellow Mammos).

Crocuses are small plants 8-32 centimeters high. The leaves are basal, green, with a longitudinal, light stripe, long and narrow. Appear from underground during or after flowering.

The underground part of the crocus is represented by a corm.This is a modified stem, it is round, covered with dry scales, has numerous roots extending from the bottom. Corms of various types differ in structure and color characteristics. They live only a year. During the growing season, the corm decreases in size, spends all the nutrients for development and flowering. Then it is replaced by a new bulb.

Flowers - solitary, often simple, inside there are stamens and stigmas. Sometimes 2-3 flowers appear from one corm. They look like a glass on a thin leg. The stem is almost invisible, it is very short, hiding underground. For the stem, you can take a long perianth with 6 petals at the top, rising from the corm. Inside it there is a filamentous column, divided at the end into three parts - these are bright orange stigmas of saffron.

By color, they are divided into yellow-flowered (yellow, orange) and blue-flowered (lilac, purple). The flowers are snow-white, with a slight pinkish tinge.The set fruit is formed underground. After maturation, it is brought to the surface. The fruit is a three-celled capsule with small angular seeds inside. Propagated by corms or seeds.

Crocuses, depending on the species, bloom in early spring or late autumn. Duration of flowering - 7-19 days. Buds open in sunny weather.

Dried stigmas of flowers have long been used as a spice. In the modern food industry, natural yellow dye is made from the stigma of saffron seed, Alatavsky, beautiful, Pallas. Powder tint in a yellowish tint of cheeses, butter, drinks. One gram of saffron turns 100 liters of water yellow. The plant owes this property to the substance contained in its composition - crocin. Dried flowers are used in perfumery.

Crocuses are grown for industrial needs in Iran, India, Spain, and as an ornamental plant - in many countries of the world. Flowers look great in flower garden beds and indoor pots. Used to create compositions in floristry.

More than 80 types of saffron are known. In Russia, 19 varieties grow. The classification of crocuses has changed frequently. Since 1886, they have been divided into 2 subgenera - with flowers wrapped in leaves (Involucrati) and uncovered flowers (Nudiflori). The modern classification is based on Brian Matthew's scheme. Crocuses come in 2 subgenera - Crocus and Crociris. There is only one species of saffron (Banat) in the subgenus Crociris. The subgenus Crocus has 2 sections and 15 species. The species differ in the structure of corms.

Crocus classification:

Crocus:

Crocus (sowing, Pallas, Cartwright, Otrana, Carduhorian, Kochi, Sharoyana, Valley, Gulimi, Longflower, Medium, Late, Etruscan, Tomasini, Spring, Corsican, Least);
Nudiscapus (Crimean, Caspian, golden, yellow, Fleischer, Alatavsky, Korolkov, Michelson, Ankara, narrow-leaved, Dalmatian, Sieber).

Crociris: Banatian.

Saffron grown in Spain comes in two varieties: Coupe and Superior. From the first variety, a more valuable seasoning is obtained, since the upper particles of the stigmas are used for its manufacture. In the second variety, the color and aroma are weaker, since the powder is made from a whole stigma of saffron. In Spain, crocuses are dried in fiery ovens. The cost of 1 kilogram of Spanish spice is $900.

Kashmir Indian saffron seasoning is made using a different technology. The collected boxes are dried under hot sunlight. For spices, whole stigmas of saffron are taken. They are discarded with water. Drowned stigmas are of the highest grade, while those that emerge are of the lowest.

However, more than 80 percent of the spices entering the market come from Iran. Iranian saffron is not very expensive. True, spices from Iran have the strongest coloring effect. The powder is made from a young stigma of saffron. The cost of 1 kilogram of spice is $470.

False saffron can be found in stores. This is Imeretian, made not from crocuses, but from marigolds. This spice comes from Georgia. Alatav saffron, made from Alatava Crocus, a spice from Uzbekistan, belongs to false saffron.

Garden

To decorate garden flower beds, planting material of various types and varieties is bought. Crocuses are grown mainly from corms. Saffron Posevnaya has pale lilac flowers. This plant can bloom in autumn and has a violet scent.

Crocus Beautiful has pale lilac flowers. Large flowers open in September, and bloom for almost a month. The autumn varieties include the cornflower blue Cassiopeia crocus, lilac Artabir, snow-white Albus, amethyst Pallux, pale purple Pallas. More often in the fall, crocuses bloom with blue and snow-white flowers. Less often in the autumn garden you can meet Sharoyan's saffron, with bright yellow petals.In August, Dolinny saffron blooms, with snow-white flowers.

Spring saffrons with yellow, pink or bright red petals appear on flower beds in spring. For example, botanical small-flowered. In April, the Golden crocus blooms, with yellowish flowers. Spring ones include purple Dutch hybrids, pale blue Blue Pearl, lemon Princess Beatrix, snow-white White Triumphant, plum Violet Queen, lilac-white Lady killer.

Room rooms

Crocuses look great in indoor pots. Delicate flowers of these plants, depending on the species, will appear in spring or autumn. For home cultivation, corms of large-flowered Dutch hybrids are usually bought. The following varieties belong to spring: blue Vangart, purple Remembrance, snow-white Jeanne d'Arc. Pale blue Artabir, purple Sollux, snow-white Albus bloom in autumn.In one pot, you can plant bulbs of only spring or only autumn varieties.

Main groups and varieties

There are over 80 types of crocuses. Most of them bloom in spring. True, there is a huge color variety of plants blooming exclusively in autumn. Each type of saffron is represented by numerous varieties.

Dutch hybrids

These are popular and fairly numerous crocuses. Dutch hybrids are grown in garden plots and in indoor pots. They have large flowers. The color of the petals is lilac, pale purple, snow-white or striped. Flowers grow up to 11 centimeters in height. Crocuses Spring, Yellow, Narrow-leaved are considered to be the ancestors of Dutch hybrids.

Chrysanthus Group

This variety has slightly smaller flowers than the Dutch hybrids. The ancestors of the group were the Golden and Two-flowered crocus. The varieties of this variety have yellow, purple, snow-white and blue flowers.

Autumn flowering plant species

The well-known crocus Sowing belongs to the blooming in autumn. An expensive spice, saffron, is made from the stigma of this plant. The varieties blooming in autumn are descended from Crocus Sowing, Fine, Pallas, Sharoyan, Banatsky. Popular varieties: Oksinan, Albus, Artabir.

Large-flowered or spring-blooming crocuses

Dutch hybrids and varieties based on crocus Adamas, Tomasini, Spring, Angustifolia, Golden, Two-flowered, Crimean usually bloom in spring.

Popular varieties and color variety of crocuses

Dutch hybrids are commonly grown in garden plots. Such varieties are undemanding to the soil, perfectly adapt to any weather. Gardeners prefer to buy Dutch corms, as they have good and beautiful large flowers, the best varietal characteristics.

Purple, light purple Thomas

This is a tiny plant with beautiful pale purple flowers. Blooms in early spring. Very fond of sunlight.

Zibera

Small spring flower with original tricolor. The middle is yellow, sharply turning into a white stripe, at the end the petals are pale lilac. Known varieties: snow-white Bowlez White, tricolor Tricolor and Violet Queen.

Korolkova

A tiny plant with orange flowers. The petals are burgundy on the outside below. Height - 6-15 centimeters. Blooms in spring.

Crocus Vangart and Flower record

Dutch hybrids bred from Spring saffron. They have huge goblet-shaped flowers. Height - 14-25 centimeters. Long leaves appear after flowering. Plants of this species have yellow, lilac, snow-white, scarlet, purple flowers.Popular varieties: Vangart, Yeloy Mammoth, Remembrans.

Violet Queen - purple flowers

Beautiful purple flower with a golden yellow throat. Blooms in spring. This large-flowered cultivar is descended from Saffron aureus.

Hubert Edelitern - purple with white and yellow stripes

Small spring plant with large flowers. The color of the petals is lilac or striped (with purple or yellowish lines on a white background). Crocuses bloom in spring.

Cream Beauty - cream flowers

Delicate cream flowers. The variety is descended from the golden-flowered saffron. Flowers bloom in April.

Blue Pearl - white with light blue

Tall plant with flowers up to 8-10 centimeters. Crocus blooms in March, along with snowdrops. The flowers are pale blue, with a yellow center.

White Albus

Snow-white flowers of this variety appear in September. A plant 11-18 centimeters high with a delicate aroma. The variety is bred on the basis of saffron Fine.

Oxonian with dark blue buds

Short flower 15 centimeters long. Blooms in autumn. Originates from the beautiful saffron. Oxonian has beautiful dark blue flowers.

Valicola - cream flowers

Short, but surprisingly beautiful flowering plant blooming in autumn. It has delicate creamy flowers and a light aroma of violets.

Yellow crocus

Golden flowers appear in early spring. This beautiful saffron blooms in cool weather, almost at the very surface of the earth, even without leaves. Flowers are yellowish, 6-petalled.

Tomasini Saffron

This flower is also called Neapolitan. Spring primrose with delicate lilac flowers. Dissolves at the very beginning of April. Wild forms are found in the Balkans, Hungary, Bulgaria. Plant height - 7-8 centimeters. Flowers diameter - 3-4 cm.

Pink Lilac Harlem (Harlem) Jam

Beautiful spring variety of saffron with pink-lilac flowers. This small plant has small delicate flowers with 6 petals. Blooms in spring, along with snowdrops. Purple flowers appear from under the ground on a thin high stem and long strings of green leaves with a light stripe in the middle. Crocuses bloom for several days.