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Key characteristics

Family: Colchicaceae
Height: 6-8 inches tall
Width: 6-12 inches wide
Flower color: Lavender to pinkish-purple
Foliage color: Deep green leaves (emerge after flowering)
Bloom time: Fall, typically September to October
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; cut back foliage after it dies down
Growing zone: USDA Zones 5-9
Wildlife: Attracts pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies

Perennials

Colchicum bornmuelleri

Autumn Crocus

Colchicum bornmuelleri, also known as the autumn crocus, blooms in the fall, offering a beautiful burst of color when most other plants are fading. Its large, funnel-shaped flowers are a soft lavender-pink, with a delicate white throat that adds to their elegance. The flowers emerge from the ground before the leaves, creating a dramatic effect as they bloom amidst the late-season landscape.

Native to the mountainous regions of Turkey, Colchicum bornmuelleri is well-suited to rock gardens or woodland edges where its fall bloom can be appreciated.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Fall, typically September to October

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Pollinator Gardens
Rock Gardens
Containers

Companion plants

Catmint · Heucheras · Lady's mantle · Hellebores · Hardy geraniums · Hostas

Design tip

Late flowers extend the season, so set it behind or beside plants that finish in midsummer. Because it is easy about light, use it to carry a planting from a sunny end of the bed into the shadier side.