Colchicums

The blooming of my various species of Colchicums now reminds me that autumn is here. The nights are getting cooler and it will soon be time to bring in my houseplants and tropical Bonsai. The orchids stay inside all year to avoid insect infestations. 

I have included a US quarter for size comparisons. Can you find it in each of the photos? Although sometimes people call Colchicums "Autumn Crocuses" they are not technically speaking. There are, however, crocuses that do bloom in the fall. Can you see the differences between the species? Each one of these clumps started out as a single bulb.

The clump above has many more flower buds emerging from the soil which expands the flowering season. Colchicums produce large green daylily looking leaves in the spring which make food and store it. These leaves, which can get quite large, die back before mid-summer. The dormant bulbs remain just barely under the top layer of soil until about mid-September here. (It's hard NOT to plant another plant on top of the dormant bulbs; I forget where they are.) Different species have slightly different flowering times. It's a delight to see the flowers finally emerge from the ground. The flowering season lasts quite a long time as the garden gets ready for winter, a time for the garden and me to rest.

The quarter is hard to find in this shot. In my new house up in Palms, Michigan near Forestville there will be a sun-room so I can leave my plants indoors all year. I will be able to sit in the sun read and drink tea, coffee, or cocoa surrounded by green plants, orchids, and Bonsai - Yay! Needless to say, my Colchicums will be up there with me.

(Clicking on photos enlarges them. Click on the X in the upper right corner to return to the text.)
The drug colchicine came from Colchicums.