Today, I'm super excited to continue on in my series, What to Grow In Winter and share with you another plant that can breathe new life into a bare, snowy landscape.

Yes, you heard me right, crocuses can emerge up from the ground, even in the snow.

Shades of Winter Beauty

Crocuses come in different varieties and shades, including white, yellow, lilac, purple, and blue. There are spring bloomers, fall bloomers, and early winter bloomers. However, for the sake of this post, we will focus on some varieties that can bloom in winter.

Crocus angustifolius 'Cloth of Gold'
(Blooms begin in early winter)

Crocus Chrysanthus 'Snow Bunting' (Snow Crocus)
Blooms begin in late winter to early spring

Crocus laevigatus ‘Fontenayi’ (Winter Crocus)
Blooms usually begin right before Christmas and may continue on into February

Crocus tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant' (Early Crocus)
Blooms begin in late winter to early spring

*Note: First year bloom time is also related to when you planted your crocuses. If you planted later, they should also bloom later.

Caring for Crocuses

• Plant crocus corms 3 to 4 inches deep, ensuring the pointy end is facing up.
• Plant them in clusters so they show up.
• They require well-drained soil to prevent rotting and ample sunlight. (If the soil is not well-drained, you will have to dig them up after blooming to prevent rotting.)
• Crocus can be grown in pots or directly in flower beds.
• To prevent overcrowding and a reduction in blooms, divide crocuses every three to five years.
• If you choose to dig up your crocus corms, do so once blooming has ceased and the foliage turns brown. Also, be sure and remove the dead foliage and store the corms in a paper or mesh bag in a dry location.

When to Plant Crocuses

According to the Farmer's Almanac, the best time to plant crocus bulbs (technically corms), is 6 to 8 weeks prior to a hard frost and when the temperature of the soil is under 60 degrees F. For gardeners in the United States, these conditions usually present themselves between September and November. In the North, plan on planting in September or October, and if you live in the South, plan on October or November.

Enjoy cooking with saffron? Well, you may be surprised to know, saffron, one of the rarest and expensive spices, comes from the Autumn Crocus plant.

Saffron is collected from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, and as the name suggests, it blooms in autumn. Imagine, you could grow your own saffron which typically sells for $500 an ounce!

Are you feeling inspired yet to get outside, (bundled up, of course) and do some winter gardening? Today may be too cold for you to get out but just remember, you can plan ahead this year to plant crocus corms when it's warmer out and by next winter, you'll be able to enjoy them cozily from your window. Plus, they are perennials so they keep re-emerging year after year. In case you've missed my previous posts in this series, What to Grow In Winter, here they are:

What to Grow In Winter Series, Post #1: Violas
What to Grow In Winter Series, Post #2: Camellias

Happy Winter Gardening!

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Flower GIFs courtesy of @readallaboutit 😵