Getting its name from gorgeous, bi-colored orange and near-black blooms that resemble a Monarch Butterfly, this Wild Crocus is sure to be one of the first to pop up and delight in the early spring. Growing to be only 3-4” high, plant this beauty somewhere in front where you can enjoy it!
Snow Crocus are the earliest Crocus to flower, about two weeks before their Large Flowering siblings. Species Crocus are the best for early spring lawn tapestries: hold off mowing the lawn until the foliage has died back. Drifts are also lovely in garden borders and rock gardens. The Monarch crocus has graceful six-petaled, 4” tall flowers that open and close on sunny days, and grass-like foliage with narrow, median silvery stripes. It has a rather smooth (annulate) tunic. Deer-resistant, they naturalize readily in well-draining soil and in full to partial sunlight. They may be a target for squirrels that may dig up newly planted bulbs for a snack, or for transplant elsewhere. You’ll need about 9 to 16 corms (bulbs) per square foot for a dense planting.
Bulb size: 5 cm/up. Full to partial sunlight. Height: 4”. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: Late March/early April. Plant 4” deep and 3” to 4” apart. HZ: 4-8. (Crocus are also good for forcing indoors over the winter. Pot them up in mid-October and precool them at a consistent, dark 38 to 45 degrees F for eight to ten weeks with moderate watering. Bring them into the house~they will bloom about four weeks later.)
