crocus in the fall

It's late September, and the crocuses are blooming! These flowers look very much like spring crocus on steroids. But they are really a different plant altogether.
Colchium, aka Fall Crocus, comes in different shades of pink, purple and white, with single and double varieties. They send up a few thin leaves in spring, which soon wither and disappear. Then in fall they send up huge flowers. One variety of colchium is crocus sativus. The yellow stamens of that plant are dried to become saffron - the world's most expensive spice.


It's a lovely surprise to see such a spring-like colour pop our with no warning. They don't last long, but they're really stunning.