Description
A diminutive species spread right across southern Europe from the Azores to Turkey. It is said to occur in N. Africa as well. This is also a rare native of parts of southern Britain, whence the name ‘Sand Crocus” has arisen, from it’s earliest known habitats and its superficial similarity to the latter plant.
Each tiny corm makes one or two basal leaves and several cauline (stem) leaves which are very narrow, wiry and quite inconspicuous. One to three flowers are made per corm and these are made almost at ground level or on a very short stem, early in the year, from February onwards with us. The flowers are funnel-shaped.
In this stock, raised from seed traceable only to the eastern Mediterranean, the flowers are stained with violet throughout the petals, though this is more intense towards the petal tips and there is some lovely, feathered veining. The interface between the deep, golden-yellow throat and the violet of the petals is marked out with a pale, whitish-violet. Externally the petals are lined and stained deep purple-brown over a brown ground colour giving the “bronze” of the strain name.
We keep this under alpine glass as it is a diminutive species, easily lost sight of in the garden and we enjoy its very early flowers inside, where we have it in small pans of well-drained, loam-based compost, dried off in early summer once the leaves yellow. A trouble-free little plant not needing a whole lot of attention but giving abundant rewards in miniature.
