Description
(biliottii of botany but plants of horticulture under the name biliottii are often not true).
Lovely blue-purple, strong-petalled chalices early in spring. The flowers have broad petals and a tough constitution. Externally the petals have a broad, purple splash at the base of the inner set of three petals while the outer set of three have a much more developed purple zone which extends right along the outer surface. The splashes are made up of overlapping rays of purple which resemble feathering more, as they become thinner, away from the central rays.
Internally the flowers have primrose anthers and orange styles, set in a yellow orange throat, which is surrounded by a paler, almost white zone. The coloured rays are more visible internally, appearing as pale purple stripes against a paler background. It is worth noting that this is a variable species and some forms incline to near white with markings much closer to blue, others are intermediate. All are true Crocus aerius which is simply a variable plant and incidentally, one which is reputed to be quite resistant to hybridisation.
A good grower, taking the worst of the winter weather with impunity, perhaps in keeping with its home on the Zigana Pass of Turkey, (home of Crocus scharojanii, Crocus vallicola and Lilium monadelphum) where this stock is traceable to originally, via Janis Ruksans. We have it in our usual, well-drained, loam-based compost, in plunged clay pots grown in the outside frames, dry in summer. Rodent-permitting, this could perhaps succeed outside in a well drained, humus-rich soil in full sun with protection from too much summer rainfall.
