Crocus × hybridus
Crocus (Crocus × hybridus) is a perennial. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -40 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Mildly toxic to dogs and cats.
Spring crocuses bring the first colour of the year: the smaller-flowered early kinds open at the end of winter, the large-flowered Dutch hybrids follow two or three weeks later, and early bees visit them eagerly. Plant the corms in autumn 6-10 cm deep and 8-10 cm apart in generous, loose drifts, in sun or under deciduous trees and in well-drained soil; they dislike heavy, wet clay. In a good spot they multiply by offsets and seed and naturalise well in lawns, but only if you hold off mowing for about six weeks after flowering, until the leaves have yellowed. When choosing, look at colour (purple, white, yellow or striped), flower size and timing: large-flowered hybrids are best in grass, the early small-flowered ones in rock gardens and pots.
| Group | Perennial |
| Light | Full sun, Part shade |
| Size after 10 years | 12 cm × 15 cm |
| Ultimate size | 8–15 cm × 8–15 cm |
| Hardiness | down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7) |
| Soil | Average garden soil, Sandy |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Flowering | February–April, purple, white, yellow |
| Water need | Medium |
| Drought tolerance | Medium |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Root aggressiveness | Low |
| Suckering | no data |
| Spreading | Medium |
| Distance from buildings | no data |
| Distance from paving | no data |
| Litter | not typical |
| Planting distance | 8 cm |
| For dogs | Mildly toxic |
| For cats | Mildly toxic |
| For children | no data |
| Typical price | no data |
Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.
Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made
Building a rock garden: stone, soil and plants step by step
A rock garden belongs on a sunny, gentle slope, in lean, free-draining soil: one third garden soil, one third coarse sand, one third crushed stone. Lay the stones, all of one kind, in layers leaning the same way and sunk a third to a half into the ground, so that about two fifths of the surface is stone. Four to six plants per square metre are enough: creeping junipers and grasses make the frame, and between them cushion perennials, stonecrops and thymes flower from March to October.
Planting tulips, daffodils and crocuses: when, how deep, how many
Spring-flowering bulbs go in in autumn: daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths from September to October, tulips from October to November, until the ground freezes. A bulb goes two to three times its own height deep (tulips and daffodils about 12-15 cm, crocuses 8-10 cm), tip up, at least twice its width from the next. Between perennials, 20 small, 8 medium and 4 large bulbs per square metre are enough. After flowering, leave their leaves on for six weeks.
Saxifraga × arendsii
Carex oshimensis
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