Colchicum

Colchicum agrippinum

Clusters of very heavily-chequered violet-rose cones in August and September. This is one of the most intensely chequered species. The flowers are followed by small blue-green leaves which are never ungainly or floppy.

An excellent, free-flowering, easy, garden species and one of our most popular Colchicum, but one that has become increasingly scarce now.

Colchicum agrippinumcolagragr	£8.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum asteranthum

A first time introduction of a new, winter-flowering species so far known only from one small area of Southern Greece.

The small, soboliferous corms make good increase so that it has become available from cultivated stocks ( traceable to the botanical gardens at Gothenburg ) soon after its discovery.

This is a true winter-flowering species - not a precocious snow-melt plant. It reaches the peak of its flowering in December but carries on to February. It produces 3-4, thin trailing, channelled, almost crocus-like leaves 2-5mm wide, yes, just mm wide! There are 1-2 flowers per corm, these open white but soon shade to palest pink, there are contrasting yellow anthers and the whole is strongly scented of honey.

A sunny, well drained spot is suitable, or a pot as it is not a huge plant, but this presents no difficulties.

Colchicum asteranthumcolastast	£6.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum autumnale

This superb cultivated form of autumnale was first found by the late Michael Hoog in Belgium many years ago.

It flowers well and reliably makes good clumps of especially robust and well-coloured flowers of such size and vigour that they approach speciosum in stature and appearance.

Colchicum autumnale JMH8001colautautJMH8001	£4.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum autumnale alboplenum

Great big fully doubled, pure white flowers in the autumn, held on short strong stems. These stand the weather very well and are so large that they are probably the source of the rumours of double white C. speciosum that surface from time to time.

Garden conditions with no fuss as it has no foibles.

Colchicum autumnale alboplenumcolautalb	£6.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum autumnale Karin Persson

A very attractive form of the species with large leaves and especially large flowers from August onwards. This form is so large and floriferous that it was originally believed to be C. bivonae, but has been identified as C. autumnale by Colchicum expert, Karin Persson from Gotenburg Botanic Gardens.

Cultivated material, originally from Greece, Pindus Mountains, Katara Pass, at over 1500m.

Colchicum autumnale Karin Perssoncolautkar	£5.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum autumnale Lysimachus

This brand new introduction (2007) was found in Colchicum autumnale 'Drama Bunch' grown from seed. It appears to be a hybrid, possibly with haynaldii, which was found in the original collection site, 20 years ago to the month after I write this!

Lysimachus is more vigorous than the parents and is a better grower all round. It is named after a ruthless king who made his name, in history, in the area of the original finds.

Colchicum autumnale Lysimachuscolautlys	£5.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum autumnale Spartacus

This is a clone raised from an original wild Greek find of autumnale in which the lovely soft, but bright, pink flowers have a white centre, which contrasts very nicely with the yellow-orange anthers. The short, broad petalled flowers are made in compact bunches throughout September.

Colchicum autumnale Spartacuscolautspa	£6.00
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Colchicum bivonae Apollo

This usually makes two, large flower clusters, each bearing up to 6 sumptuous, cup-shaped, beautifully chequered bright violet blooms with a central white star.

Lightly scented and flowering in early autumn. Makes a magnificent early display in the autumn garden with no special treatment.

Colchicum bivonae Apollocolbivapo	£5.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum bivonae Disraeli

Bunches of large, rose-purple strongly tessellated flowers with well contrasted white centres. An excellent garden plant with strong constitution bearing autumn weather well.

Though supposed to be a cross of giganteum (i.e. speciosum) with bornmuelleri (i.e. speciosum)! this certainly has bivonae in its parentage.

Introduced by Zocher and Co. in Holland and awarded am AM there in 1931.

Colchicum bivonae Disraelicolbivdis	£4.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum bivonae Giona

This is an attractive new introduction with scented, goblet shaped flowers overlaid with heavy chequering of purple-pink, and green anthers which dehisce to yellow.

True unhybridised material selected from a population first found in Greece on Mount Giona at 1,000m altitude.

Excellent in the garden.

Colchicum bivonae Gionacolbivgio	£5.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum bivonae Vesta

Strongly chequered violet purple blooms which lack much of the white throat which is usual for Colchicum bivonae. The colouring thus appears more intense, enhanced by the smaller but more densely-packed chequering.

The flowers are well scented and make a superb display at the very start of the main autumn Colchicum season.

Colchicum bivonae Vestacolbivves	£5.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum boissieri

Slender and graceful unchequered flowers of rich mid-pink with contrasting yellow anthers, in early autumn.

We offer a high altitude form, originally from Turkey, that has proved hardy and adaptable, making good increase from its sideways-creeping corms.

Colchicum boissiericolboiboi	£7.50
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Colchicum brachyphyllum

A rare species from Turkey and Jordan which makes its flowers with its leaves in the winter and very early spring. The leaves are short and triangular and set off the wide-petalled, virtually white flowers, perfectly. Yellow anthers and pollen complete a lovely plant.

A native of wet meadows and riverside in the wild, but perfectly at home – and hardy – under standard garden conditions for small Colchicum species!

Horticultural stock probably raised from Sonderhousen 1987 material. Very few.

Colchicum brachyphyllumcolbrabra	£14.50
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Colchicum byzantinum Innocence

(byzantinum album)

A superb form of Colchicum byzantinum with dense clustered bunches of heavily-textured, white funnels in September. Each bunch has up to 20 flowers, the tips of the styles picked out in purple. Now and again, a petal is also picked out with a fine purple line.

One of the more showy autumn species for garden display where it will catch the eye quite early in the main Colchicum season.

Readily grown under normal garden conditions, in full sun in a fertile, well drained soil.

Colchicum byzantinum albumcolbyzalb	£8.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Colchicum cupani pulverulentum

This form has fantastically undulate margins to the long, thin leaves, which enhance the general decorative nature of the species, making it horticulturally very distinct.

It is a miniature, very hardy, species with 1cm broad, polished, glossy leaves and clusters of small pink goblets jammed together in the autumn. The colouring is concentrated in bands on the petals, not quite stripes, but almost.

Colchicum cupani pulverulentumcolcuppul	£5.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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