Crocus cancellatus
| Crocus cancellatus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 0.4' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Early Fall-Late Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Crocus cancellatus
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light sandy soil in pots in a cold frame[1]. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in early spring[1]. Sow thinly because the seed usually germinates freely[1], within 1 - 6 months at 18°c[2]. Unless the seed has been sown too thickly, do not transplant the seedlings in their first year of growth, but give them regular liquid feeds to make sure they do not become deficient. Divide the small bulbs once the plants have died down, planting 2 - 3 bulbs per 8cm pot. Grow them on for another 2 years in a greenhouse or frame and plant them out into their permanent positions when dormant in late summer[K]. Plants take 3 - 4 years to flower from seed[3].
Division of the clumps after the leaves die down in spring[1][3]. The bulbs can be replanted direct into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: Grows best on a gritty well-drained slope[4]. Plants succeed outdoors if they are given perfect drainage in a warm sunny position[3], otherwise they are better grown in a bulb frame[5]. Bulbs should be planted 5 - 7cm deep in the soil[6]. June is the best time to do this[7].
This species includes C. edulis, which is a synonym of C. cancellatus damascenus[4].
The corms are sold in local markets in Syria[8].
Plants tend to move considerably from their original planting place because of their means of vegetative reproduction, it is therefore wise not to grow different species in close proximity[1].
The flowers are only open during the day time, closing at night[7].
Range: N. Africa to W. Asia - N. Palestine to Armenia.
Habitat: Rocky hillsides and open woods, to 1800 metres[9].
Edibility: Corm - cooked[8]. Used when the bulb is sprouting, it is prized as a vegetable[10].
Pollinators: Bees, butterflies
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Early Spring-Mid Summer
Seed Ripens: Early Spring-Late Spring
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: C. edulis.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Grey, Charles. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate, 1938.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Innes, Clive. The World of Iridaceae. Holly Gate, 1985.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.