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kato_b

Summer winding down means it's colchicum season!

I absolutely don't like seeing summer end, but fall flowers make it a little easier. The colchicums are starting and I love seeing fresh flowers opening up to welcome a new season.

'Nancy Lindsay'


C. byzantinum 'album' at the edge of the zucchini patch


'Jochem Hof'


Anyone else welcoming back these fall bloomers?

Comments (16)

  • schoolhouse_gwagain
    4 years ago

    I have the violet colored ones. Every year when they bloom I say to myself, "I need to buy some more of these". Then I forget.

  • katob Z6ish, NE Pa
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Yeah, that's the hardest part. Summer is the best time to order but it's hard to think of these when everything else is going on.

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    4 years ago

    I ended up taking mine out. The blooms were pretty in the fall, but I couldn't stand the messy foliage which tended to hang around through the early part of summer -- prime gardening enjoyment months up here.

  • gdinieontarioz5
    4 years ago

    Beautiful! Yours are up! I just happened to check this afternoon for my Waterlily, but nothing yet. I have a few lilac singles too, and a white single that may have disappeared. And then later the fall crocuses. I can ignore the foliage for the later enjoyment ;-).

    katob Z6ish, NE Pa thanked gdinieontarioz5
  • dbarron
    4 years ago

    I noticed some blooming last night...hidden within foliage because it's still summer here. They make more impact when everything else would be dead (lol).

  • katob Z6ish, NE Pa
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Waterlily is my last one to open, no sign of it yet here in my garden either.

    I'll have to pay attention to the foliage next spring. I've heard people complain about the foliage but it's never stood out for me. Maybe it just blends into all the other greens since I do tend to plant a lot of other bulbs as well, but like dbarron said colchicums get lost in all the other stuff this time of year, and should be planted somewhere you will see them... which is usually towards the front of the bed, and usually not where you want a big clump of yellowing leaves in June!

    I've been trying to grow more groundcovers though, and groundcover sedums have been doing well as far as not minding the spring foliage, and then making a nice background for the flowers when they come up.

  • dbarron
    4 years ago

    The leaves are not (to me) that obnoxious, they're somewhat hosta/cabbage like and for me, gone by mid to late May.

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    4 years ago

    I don't mind the leaves either. And they're in bloom all over my yard--I have 4 or 5 different varieties, "Disraeli' being my favorite.


  • dbarron
    4 years ago

    Their foliage works well with the anemone japonica I have overplanting one bulb cluster...the anemone bulks up late and covers the moldering foliage, however, it also covers (now) the flowers (lol). Win/Lose.

  • katob Z6ish, NE Pa
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Laceyvail, Disraeli is one of my favorites as well... although it’s died on me twice already. Luckily it does great for a friend, and she hasn’t complained yet about me always wanting another one!

    here are some ‘lilac wonder’ planted in a ground cover of leadwort. The lead wort comes up late, just as the colchicum leaves are drying up. I guess it does look better than plain dirt lol


  • Marie Tulin
    4 years ago

    What other ways do people have of planting these. ?This spring I moved alot of bulbs (easy...so close to the surface and the foliage leaves no doubt where they are) because the foliage spoiled the look of some other beds. Now that they're in bloom they are hidden behind fully leafed out shrubs, trees and perennials. Double bad planting plan.


    Do you think they look better 'en masse' or scattered around? I like the look of them coming up through the sedum or other ground cover. It sofens them. Mine coming through bare ground doesn't work; it looks like it was buried by mistake.


    I have several growing up through veronica Georgia Blue and it looked ok in spring and fine now.

    I know I have a pink waterlily somewhere!

    How does one remember to order these ? I always forget until now when it is too late.




  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    4 years ago

    At least for me, they multiply pretty rapidly, and they don't seem to mind being crowded, so they're always en masse.

  • KarenPA_6b
    4 years ago

    So glad to see this thread up! Beautiful colchicums, Katob!

    My C. Tenorii have been blooming for awhile now. This is not their best. They are winding down.


    C. Byzantine is starting

    This one is NOID. Got them from a trade many years ago.



    My autumnale 'Album' colchicums are dead except for one bulb. My waterlilies were all dead last year. Started with 8 bulbs and they eventually disappeared. Not sure what caused their demise.

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    4 years ago

    Here is a photo my husband took three years ago of the colchicum blooming by the front entry.

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    4 years ago

    Hmm, well, I went out on the side of the deck to do some transplanting, looks like I missed this planting of colchicum - still there and getting ready to bloom. Eh, the foliage probably didn't bug me enough here to cause me to go on a rampage back in the spring, so I'll just leave them and enjoy them for what they are...even though I won't really even see them.

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