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Bulbs

Colchicum 'Pink Star'

meadow saffron 'Pink Star'

A cormous perennial with straplike basal leaves that emerge in spring and die back in summer. Lilac-pink flowers, with narrow petals that open out to give a starry effect, appear on short white stems in early autumn

Synonyms

Colchicum × byzantinum 'Pink Star'

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Colchicaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: TOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Colchicum are cormous perennials with usually coarse, broadly strap-shaped leaves which appear with or after the goblet-shaped flowers
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in a sunny position in deep, fertile soil that does not dry out. Intolerant of waterlogging. See bulb cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown in containers in an open frame as soon as ripe, or by division, separating corms when they are dormant in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Gravel garden
Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs

Diseases

May be susceptibe to colchicum smuts, grey moulds and tulip grey bulb rot

Get involved

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