Pure white colchicums
Plants that push through rapidly are associated with spring, so to see large, white spears shooting up through the bare earth or thrusting their way through dense ground cover is both a surprise and an inspiration. All bulbous plants have a magical quality, but the appearance of these wide globes rocketing up on nude stems through the warm earth is awe-inspiring at this time of year. Colchicum autumnale is a native plant. It was probably common at one time, frequenting field and pasture, which gave it its folk name of meadow saffron. Perhaps it was unpopular with farmers since it’s poisonous to cattle. The exotic colchicums were introduced into cultivation in the British Isles in the late 16th century. For hundreds of years they were cultivated solely by the gardening cognoscenti, who traded them with each other. It’s only recently they’ve entered the mainstream gardening consciousness. Not only were they seldom offered for sale, but amateurs thought such bizarre flowers must be difficult to grow. That myth has been exploded and bulbs are widely available. Whichever becomes a particular favourite, gardeners are unanimous in their opinion of Colchicum speciosum ‘Album’. All agree the perfection of its pure white chalices is without par.