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Size
Ultimate height
Up to 10cmTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0–0.1 metreGrowing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | Pink | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
North–facing or West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Colchicaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- 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
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in moist but well-drained, deep, humus-rich, fertile soil. Intolerant of waterlogging
Propagation
Propagate by seed, sowing in containers in an open frame when ripe or separate corms when dormant in summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Rock garden
- 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
Generally disease- free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.