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Do crocus change colour?

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  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Purple cannot be coded for by a single gene, because it is a hybrid colour, so the process will be more complicated.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    My guess would be there are many different ways that plant genes can produce flowers in shades of purple/mauve. That would explain why it's very common and often the "natural" form, and why self-seeded open-pollinated offspring of cultivated varieties tend to come through purple after a few generations (foxgloves, aquilegia, honesty etc).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • @Fairygirl I bought the corms from a garden center chain (Bellaflora), so they should be in decent quality. It's not my private border but a public space next to a sidewalk and parking cars. So I´ll just let them naturalise now. That was the plan anyway :)

    @DaveGreig So you also made the best out of it.

    @Loxley Fingers crossed, that they still are 'Blue Pearl' and look different next season

    @Waterbut Might also be a preference of pollinators.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Are you allowed to plant stuff in areas you don't own @marcello. ? Are you in America, or over here in the UK?
    Some people do it in the UK - 'guerrilla gardening' it's called, but it isn't something I really approve of as there's no way of knowing what folk are planting, and it could cause real problems with existing planting if something highly invasive was planted randomly. I don't know if different councils have varying rules and regs though. 

    Re @Loxley's post about names and colours etc, it's also notoriously difficult to photograph purples and blues accurately, and if you see the colour of a plant on some sites, the photo can be quite different from the reality. That does make it harder to ID, but is also a nuisance if the colour of a plant you want is lighter or darker than the photo once you have it flowering!
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • @Fairygirl
    I`m in Vienna, Austria. It´s part of a city project. You can adopt the areas around trees that are planted next to pavements or parking areas and take responsibility for them. It´s for free, you just need to apply for it and register. This way the city wants to boost biodiversity and help the trees that might not get enough water during hot summers. Additionally, it is making public spaces more beautiful and provides gardening opportunities for people that neither have a garden or balcony like me :) I started the adoption last August :) So I´m looking forward to see, what survived the winter and how much bigger the planted perennials will be like. The crocus obviously did really well. I planted 25 corms but it looks like they already spreaded a bit (don't know if that is possible).

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    What a lovely idea. 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Thanks for clarifying that @marcello. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble!
    It's good that it seems to be well organised too - not just folk randomly doing what they like  :)
    That's a nice little spot there. Can you see it from your property too?
    The crocus should do well, and you can always add more bulbs for a nice succession of colour once you get a good feel for the space and soil etc. Hopefully you can get a nice mix of bulbs and perennials over time. Good luck with it.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    What an excellent idea.  Good luck with your adopted patch, @marcello.. 👍
  • Thanks @ViewAhead :) I´m afraid I lost some plants to the winter, at least they look like they are dead. But probably it`s still too early to say right now though.

    @Fairygirl yes, I can see it from my apartment. I don`t know if there is still enough space for more bulbs. I want the perennials to spread too  :D



  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Marcello wasn't asking for approval.
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