Crocus – wildeherb.com

Early Spring in the PA Mountains

March 14, 2012 by wilde

Spring has sprung a little early this year. The calendar says it starts on March 21st but we’re seeing all the signs already. Meteorologically speaking winter is December, January and February, so any time in March we should start seeing Spring happening.

We have been hearing the flocks of Canada geese and swans flying north for a couple of weeks now. Robins have appeared and are singing loudly from the oak treetops. It occurs to me that I haven’t seen juncos for a while now, so maybe they’ve flown back to Canada, too.

The crocuses started poking their heads out of the ground and yesterday was the first day to see them blooming. A different type of bulb, anemones, bloomed last week. We call them “early crocuses”.

Early crocuses or anemones in bloom. Photo taken March 6, 2012.

The anemones have thinner petals whereas the later crocuses have wider petals that are rounded at the tips. The linear leaves are very similar with the white midrib, but the anemone leaves are also thinner.

Crocuses showing off their wide petals in bright white and purple. Photo taken March 13, 2012.

The temperatures here in the eastern US are about 20 degrees warmer than usual, so many trees have popped their leaf buds. Maple trees, elderberry canes, wild roses and blackberries have all pushed out their leaves. The elderberry leaves have grown the most so far, but with warm weather predicted for the next ten days or so, we expect the pollen levels to shoot up from lots of tree activity.

In the woods hepatica isn’t blooming yet. I did see one flower bud at the soil surface when I checked them yesterday, so I suspect that hepatica may bloom early this Spring.

Hepatica not quite blooming yet this year. The maroon-tinted leaves remain from last year. Photo taken March 12, 2012.

Hepatica americana is a favorite of mine and since it’s growing wild on our property, you know I’ll be checking these plants often until they bloom.

Crocuses Still Blooming But Crowded

August 14, 2012March 25, 2010 by wilde

You’re right, crocuses aren’t exactly a wild herb, but since they’re one of the only flowers blooming right now, they’re getting my attention.

: Image by stevesheriw via Flickr

I did see bunches of daffodils or jonquils, Narcissus spp., blooming in town yesterday. Although native to parts of Europe, North Africa, and Asia, you can see Narcissi flowering in American woods and empty lots here, marking where old homesteads once were — planted near the old house, no doubt. No matter when or where they’re planted, everyone knows it’s Spring when they see the daffodils blooming.

Crocuses bloom a short time before the daffodil group, but they probably bloom together for a little while. Crocus flowers last about a week. One individual plant might bloom over a week’s time and other plants will bloom earlier or later. A group of crocuses can then be blooming for about two weeks as the early ones fade away and later ones reach full flower.

Every year the crocus bulbs produce one or several clones of themselves. Over the years the proliferation of bulbs will create a compact grouping of crocuses. When there are too many plants in the same small area, they must be thinned out in order to propagate them further.

Crocus flowers more abundant this year — Crocus blooms still flowering

Here, three or four bulbs were planted four years ago for each of the three clumps of crocus blooms. Each group of crocus now provides about two dozen blooms.

About every three years we’ll dig up the crocuses – and other bulbs – and re-distribute them or plant some in new areas. This time I might plant some randomly in the yard instead of tidily in a flower bed. Thanks, Martha!

Spring is blossoming (beaconhill.seattle.wa.us)
Plant of the month: March (wellylady.blogspot.com)

Crocus Blooms Open Up with the Sunlight

August 14, 2012March 23, 2010 by wilde

We planted a few sets of crocus bulbs three years ago and now the area they occupy has at least double, probably triple, the amount of crocus bulbs we started with. That’s one thing to like about bulbs…they multiply over the years to make for really colorful patches in your flower beds or lawn. To keep up the expansion of color going, dig up the bulbs in the fall and spread them out for an even more beautiful display the following spring!

Crocuses are probably favorites of many people by virtue of their early blooming time in the Spring. Since they are among the very first ones to flower it sort of makes you feel like winter is over and that spring is really here when you do see the crocuses coming out of hiding.

The time of day will make all the difference as to what kind of display you’ll see. If you are viewing the crocus flowers in the early morning, say before going to work in the a.m., you’ll likely see the flowers closed up. After nightfall, the crocus flower petals all relax into the center of the bloom and remain closed until the next day’s sunlight nudges them open.