White crocuses are among the first flowers to open in a cool garden, and their petals often have a purple base or feathered stripes. Cultivars such as 'Jeanne d'Arc' are large and white with a deep purple throat, while species forms are smaller and more delicate.
Reading a white crocus
Each flower has three outer and three inner tepals surrounding bright orange-yellow stigmas. The flowers close at night and in dull weather, so a white crocus is only at its best when the sun is on it. A drift in lawn looks like scattered snow.
Calendar for Southern Hemisphere gardeners
- March to May: plant corms in autumn.
- June to July: leaves appear, and the corms sit in cold soil.
- August to September: flowers open in cool areas.
- October to November: foliage fades; leave it until yellow.
- December to February: corms are dormant, so keep the soil dry.
Rockeries, pots and path edges
Rock gardens, pots of gritty compost and the edges of paths are ideal. In warm cities, pot them and keep the pots in a cool, shady place until growth starts. Mice and rats may eat corms, and birds sometimes pull up the flowers.
Corms that are not for eating
White crocus flowers are not edible, and the corms should not be eaten. If a pet digs them up, call your vet. Never plant autumn crocus (Colchicum) where animals can reach it, as it contains colchicine.
Saffron
White crocuses are not a saffron source; the saffron crocus has purple petals.
