When I moved into my little Alaskan house almost two years ago, it was newly built and knee-deep in a muddy, mostly barren yard.
The first thing I did that spring was plant eleven trees – including three apple trees that have survived moose attacks, subzero temperatures, and high winds.
I wanted to sow a field of wildflowers to go with the trees, but the mixed seed bag I bought at the nursery to test out in my flower beds produced blooms that just didn’t look wild enough for me.
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So I planted grass instead.
But I’ve since learned that there’s a flower to satisfy my desire for something wild-looking.
Best of all? It pairs well with grass, and you can plant these all over your lawn for a field of early spring or autumn blooms.
Even better, these particular flowers become established amazingly well, providing a flower-carpeted lawn once a year with little effort from you.
I’m talking about the dainty yet tenacious crocus.
All a crocus needs is sunlight, well-drained soil, and a healthy dose of cold in order to thrive. You can grow both snow crocus, Crocus chrysanthus, and the larger Dutch crocus, C. vernus, in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8.
Which means I’ll be planting these showy members of the iris family, Iridaceae, all over my lawn come fall.
This got me wondering, though: just how hardy are crocuses? Can you plant them in the winter? Do the buried corms stay alive in deep freezes?
Let’s find out.
Crocuses and Cold SoilMost crocus corms need to go in the ground six to eight weeks before the first frost because – and here’s the really neat thing about them for gardeners who live in colder
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