Description
A new name for an old friend! The naming of this poor plant has been chopped and changed so much that its identity in cultivation was already very confused before further changes were imposed.
The story begins when a good form of Crocus gargaricus was introduced to horticulture and recognised as being a different species to the old “gargaricus” of commerce and literature. The names were split. The “old” gargaricus (which was stoloniferous and which made tiny corms) became Crocus thirkeanus (also called herbertii or gargaricus herbertii). In older literature what is described a C. gargaricus will almost certainty be referencing the more prolific but smaller-flowered and stoloniferous C. thirkeanus, which is now regarded as a different species. C. gargaricus was now regarded as the far rarer plant of the pair, both in the wild and in cultivation. Undoubtedly down to the fact that it had only been recently recognised as distinct, as well as its limited wild range. In addition it does not make stolons meaning that increase is only by offsets and by seed.
There have however been more changes as Turkish botanists have now looked at different wild populations of yellow, spring-flowering, mountain Crocus. Firstly thirkeanus seems to be holding as a species but other names have changed. Plants regarded as true gargaricus for many years have been shown to actually be different species in different places, though they looked like each other! Actual true and proper gargaricus grows on just one mountain and it is probably not presently in cultivation. What was thought to be true gargaricus (from the JJA.344.990 seed collection) has been rechristened as Crocus cigdemiae. We have followed suit regarding the new naming.
C. cigdemiae corms have a coarser tunic and though they are larger than those of thirkeanus, they are still less than 1cm across. Amazing then that they bear such disproportionately huge flowers in spring. These are intense, vivid yellow-orange blooms produced early in February here. Their yellow orange colouring is one of the strongest in the genus Crocus.
Moist, humus-rich soil in full sun or light shade and this is one that does not like a dry summer rest, though it will take a touch more dryness than C. thirkeanus.
Raised from true seed, acquired as JJA.344.990 (and wrongly regarded as “true” gargaricus for many years) this originated near Mugla in Turkey.
Crocus cigdemiae