NB: A note for WordPress Reader users – you need to click on the title of the post again to come out of the reader and go to the post itself. This allows you to see the whole of the top photograph. (Otherwise you may see just a tiny section!)
At first glance these photographs look as if they may be of spring crocuses. But these are bigger and in flower right now. In fact, despite the common name of ‘autumn crocus’, these aren’t crocuses but colchicums. This plant looks as if it is probably Colchicum ‘The Giant’; it certainly had very big flowers.
(Before we go further, let me mention that there are true autumn-flowering crocuses. Crocus speciosus, AKA Bieberstein’s crocus, is a lovely soft lilac-blue and the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, also blooms in autumn.)
There are a number of different colchicums available to gardeners, mostly in shades of pinky-lilac but there are others with pure white flowers too. (I saw some of those on this visit to Fullers Mill Garden, but will save those photos for a later post.) There were also different flower shapes amongst the colchicums I saw, some with double pink flowers (probably ‘Waterlily’) and others with long, spidery-looking petals. There was even a yellow-flowered variety, Colchicum luteum.
I have grown a few colchicum bulbs in pots in the past (they didn’t come back the next year). I don’t grow them now. That’s because this plant is a member of the lily family, and, like the lily, is toxic to cats. In fact, every part of the colchicum is highly toxic and the RHS recommend that gloves should be worn when handling or planting bulbs. So they’re not a good choice if you have young children or pets. Sometimes it’s best not to have a plant in your own garden, but to just admire it growing elsewhere!
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
I see from Wikipedia that Colchicum is in the similarly named botanical family Colchidaceae. The article echoes what you said: “Colchicum and Crocus look alike and can be confused by the casual observer. To add to the confusion, there are autumn-flowering species of crocus. However, colchicums have 3 styles and 6 stamens, while crocuses have 1 style supporting 3 long stigmas and 3 stamens. In addition, the corm structures are quite different—in Colchicum, the corm is irregular, while in crocuses, the corm is like a flattened ball. Crocus is in the iris family, Iridaceae.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting to think that crocuses are in the iris family when they seem so different! Nature never ceases to amaze and intrigue me… 🙂
LikeLike
How long does each flower last? They’re so pretty; I’d hope it would be for at least a few days. It still surprises me when I see photos of these flowers in fall. I have ‘crocus’ and ‘spring’ so firmly joined in my mind, it feels odd to see them now. Of course, as you pointed out, these aren’t actually crocuses, so there’s that.
A friend has just moved and is in the process of selecting indoor and patio plants; she has two cats, so the first question about any new plant she sees is “Is it toxic to cats?” There are so many that are toxic, she’s starting to think about silk plants: at least for indoors.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a big worry to me when I started to find out how many plants were toxic to cats because when our Ellie was very young she would take a bite out of all sorts of things. Lilies are especially worrying because the pollen is such a strong toxin and can kill if the cat gets it on their fur and licks it off. Consequently I try to avoid members of the lily family. (I had no idea about plant toxicity when we had our first cats many years ago. We were lucky not to have any problems!) There are lists of safe plants, so maybe your friend can find something suitable on those. This is a good list of plants that are toxic and plants that are safe around cats for both indoors and outdoors: https://www.cats.org.uk/media/gb1jkhcr/cats_protection-safe-plants-guide.pdf
I’m afraid I can’t tell you how long the individual flowers last, but I think, from very vague memory, that it must be a few days at least.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’a great article — thanks! I’ve already sent her the link, and she also says thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad it was useful! I know what a worry it can be to try to make sure there’s nothing toxic for cats.😼
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely shaded petals, Ann! The mulch gives a nice BG.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Indira! The mulch is very practical – they must use a vast amount of it! But I did have to desaturate the orange tones in it a bit, because they didn’t suit the pinks so well. Sometimes things aren’t quite as they appear, hehe!
LikeLiked by 1 person
👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are rathe lovely and I saw some in the woodland at Beth Chatto’s garden, but they were flat on their faces because of the rain. I wonder if they’d do better here than my spring crocuses which are nearly always flattened.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Could be worth a try if your autumn weather is kinder than early spring. The RHS site says they like ‘moist, well-drained soil’ and that they don’t like to get waterlogged. Spring crocuses are such fragile little things – mine end up looking like tiny colourful rags if we get any rain!
LikeLike
[…] These are part of the large collection of Colchicum autumnale growing in Fullers Mill Garden. (I posted photos of a pink and white variety that grows there a couple of weeks ago. You can see them here.) […]
LikeLike