Fall-Blooming Bulbs
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| Photo Credit: Lane Greer |
| Autumn crocus lights up shady spots with its bright flowers. |
The garden center a mile from my house sells autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) as “The Magic Bulb!” and highlights it as needing no water, no soil and no care. It’s a little unsettling to see the soft pink flowers blooming right on the counter top. I much prefer autumn crocus in the ground, grouped under trees or shrubs.
Autumn crocus blooms are lilac pink or white and grow about 6 inches tall, suddenly erupting from the ground in September and October. The flowers are larger than spring crocus, so a few bulbs make a good show. Plant the bulbs (technically corms) in August or September, and they will bloom immediately. Autumn crocus is reliably perennial in zones 5-8. For more of a show, use a double form such as ‘Waterlily’ or ‘Pleniflorum’. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Lane Greer | | Pink and yellow spider lilies make a nice grouping in fall. |
Red spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) are fascinating plants. My grandmother grew them, and it was almost shocking to see the red “spider legs” suddenly appear every autumn on leafless stems. Despite their spiky look, the flowers are soft and can be used in arrangements (though their vase life is not long). Red spider lilies grow 1-2 feet tall and can be planted in late summer to give you fabulous blooms only weeks later. They’re hardy in zones 7-10. For different-colored flowers, try golden spider lily (L. aurea), white spider lily (L. albiflora) or orange spider lily (L. sanguinea). All bloom in late summer and early fall.
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| Warnings |
- Although touching the corms and bulbs cause no harm whatsoever, the corms and leaves of autumn crocus and spider lily are extremely poisonous if eaten.
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| Tips |
- When planting bulbs, the general rule of thumb is to bury them two to three times as deep as they are tall. So a 2-inch-tall bulb should be planted 4-6 inches belowground, and a 3-inch-tall bulb is planted 6-9 inches deep. This measurement is taken from the base of the bulb.
- Plant bulbs and corms with the pointed end up. If there is no pointed end, look for threadlike roots and plant that end down.
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| Definitions |
- Corm: A short, thick stem that grows underground.
- Double form: Flowers that have two to three times the usual number of petals.
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