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James Burghardt
Iridaceae
CROCUS tommasinianus 'Barr's Purple'
Early Crocus, Tommy Crocus
Scoffing at winter's last fits of snow and cold, 'Barr's Purple' brings cheer and promise with its late winter and early spring flowers, which often occur in self-sown drifts. A perennial that grows from a small corm (bulb-like tuber), it is a selection of the southeastern European native Crocus tommasinianus.
In late winter, one or two deep lilac-purple flowers with silver-tinted exteriors arise from a developing tuft of grass-like foliage. The leaves have prominent silvery-white midstripes. Borne singly on ankle-high, stalk-like floral tubes, the white-throated blooms have six relatively narrow "petals" (more properly termed segments). The starry flowers open wide in bright sun to display yellow anthers and orange styles. The floral tubes are white. Once flowering ends, the foliage remains for several more weeks to gather nourishment for the bulbs.
Grow tommy crocus in full to partial sun in almost any reasonable soil. It needs many weeks of winter chill to flower and grow well. An enthusiastic self-sower, it is ideal for creating clouds of early bloom in lawns and borders.
8 - 1
3 - 8
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade
3"-4" / 7.6cm - 10.2cm
2"-4" / 5.1cm - 10.2cm
Early Spring, Late Winter
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Drought
Medium
Average Water
Clump-Forming
Spring, Winter
Showy
Purple, Silver
Dark Green, Silver
Striped/Striated
Yes
No
Single
Fine
Glossy
Container, Foundation, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Sometimes
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