Bees Love Crocus, and so do I
When I was little there was a corner planted with crocus that I would pass on my way to school. In my mind the appearance of those bright yellow, purple, and white blooms marked the true beginning of spring. Since then I have always had a soft spot for crocus. (By the way, I checked and the plural of crocus is either crocus or croci, and croci sounds weird.)
Crocus have now joined snowdrops as the only blooms in my garden. Not all – just the ones in the warmest spots. They are covered with bees, who are either very hungry and/or sick of a diet of nothing but snowdrops. Judy spent a bunch of time this morning photographing the bees on the crocus.
These are tommy crocus (Crocus tommasinianus). Tommies have the advantage of being less delicious to rodents than other crocus. They have the disadvantage of a more limited color palette, coming pretty much only in purple or lilac.
I really like the picture above. See that bee flying near the center of the photo?
OK, here’s just one more. This gives a really nice view of the stamen and pistils.
Here’s a clump of yellow spring crocus (Crocus chrysanthus). Unfortunately, crocus (except for the tommies) is like apple pie and ice cream to rabbits and squirrels. In my back garden they almost always get eaten before they bloom. However, I’ve noticed that the spring crocus I plant along the sidewalk remain unmolested. I’m guessing that the rabbits are too nervous to eat so close to the street and sidewalk.
Crocus can spread fairly quickly if the rodents don’t get at them. But sometimes squirrels dig up a crocus corm, replant it for later noshing, and then forget about it. That explains this lone white crocus. Give it a few years and it will make a nice clump.
Do you like crocus? Do you grow them in your garden?
I haven’t tried growing crocus. I was thinking of finding a space for Crocus sativus but now that I know squirrels eat them that would probably be a bad idea. (We have a lovely fox squirrel living here.)
The bee pictures are nice action shots. The flowers exquisite: especially the white one.
Snowdrops, Scilla and pushkinia are squirrel-proof alternatives.
Good tips. ty =)
Absolutely gorgeous! I can’t help but love the C. tommasinianus best; I’m partial to purple flowers.
I think the yellow ones are my favorite.
I do have a couple of clumps of Crocus. They are both near the street, so nothing has ever eaten them.
That seems to be the place to put crocus.
I do love crocus – such an exciting sight after months of winter grey (or white!). I have lots in my garden spreading/being spread by squirrels or mice. A splash of yellow is nice, but I think I like the purple ones best. They seem to last longer and spread better than all the others.
The purple is certainly popular.
One of my favourite spring flowers and grow tommasinianus crocus in a mass across the front lawn which abuts the small lane we live in (no footpaths here), I hope they are enjoyed by bees and passers by alike.
I would love to see a real mass of crocus, I just have a few clumps.
Beautiful. I would love to have some but our property is inundated with squirrels and chipmunks because of all the trees. I’ll have to enjoy yours, and they are beauties.
Have you tried Scilla or snowdrops? They are fairly squirrel-proof.
Not yet, but they’re on my bucket list now. 🙂
The incoming bee has some catching up to do. The others already have their pockets full!
The early bees get the pollen.
Those bees look happy at the buffet. Like you, I have a soft spot for crocus left over from my childhood. They do OK here (not as well as up north) if I remember to spray them with some noxious smelling potion or sprinkle them with hot pepper. If not, they are quickly beheaded by evil rodents.
Oh, I know about those malicious rodents.
I have a lot of crocus, and buy more each year. This autumn I will buy the tommasianus and put them among the fruit trees.
Good idea! I don’t buy more every year, but every few years I give in to the temptation.
Lovely crocus shots. Crocus tommasinianus is a joy and spreads so delightfully that if it wasn’t so beautiful you’d consider it a nuisance. But it is always welcome. Great to see the bees too.
I don’t think I could ever consider it a nuisance.
Wonderful to see your crocus, some fantastic pics of bees here! Good that they have something to feast on. I have always loved crocus too, the only down side is that they won’t open on grey days and we have a lot of them.
Our squirrels are forever digging ours up so we have lots of lone ones.xxx
It’s true they close up if there is not enough light or warmth, but I guess the flowers last longer that way.
Yes, I do like crocus but find they don’t flower for very long. I don’t have any tommies and I intend planting some this autumn (hush my mouth – who wants to think about autumn now.
The flowers don’t last as long in warm weather.
Great pics Jason! And yes I have them growing in the front but was a bit saddened to see some of mine munched before I could even enjoy them! And they were by the front walk!!! Though I do have others that I took some shots of! Yep thank the lord spring is at our door! Have a great week! And I love those bee shots! Nicole
It is infuriating to find crocus buds bitten off their stems. You must have some especially audacious rodents.
I like them but for some reason I’ve never planted any in my own yard. I do have scilla that are up, but they aren’t showing any color yet.
I know someone who actually uses the word croci and I agree that it doesn’t sound right.
I like the blue S. sibirica, but it blooms later than the crocus in my garden.
It’s exciting to see the bees out. I haven’t grown crocus in a lot of years (guess the squirrels got them) but would like to try C. tommasinianus. susie
There are some nice varieties of tommy crocus.
You are right, croci is a weird word. I prefer crocus. They are really pretty. I don’t grow any but every time I come to your blog I regret not planting bulbs.
I wonder how they do in your climate.
I love your croci, and yes it does sound weird. Such a lovely shade of purple and great shots too.
Thank you!
I love Crocus so much, we have a Crocus lawn so I can tip-toe between clumps of them and sit on a bench to watch the bumble bees lolling drunkenly in the flowers. They are over now, so it is lovely to see your Crocus tommasinianus busily being bee magnets.
Crocus does well in the lawn, by the time you need to mow the crocus leaves are already dying back.
…and I love them too! I have lots and lots as well but sadly C. sieberi Firefly & Co. didn’t like it in the grass but the rest multiplies happily.
I have not tried C. sieberi.
I grow crocus (specifically tommies), but have to grow them in pots to keep the voles at bay. Great bee pictures!
Voles have not been a big problem here – rabbits and squirrels are a different story.
Your crocus are beautiful. Ours are STILL under snow. Even for here, it is most unusual to have so much snow left in early April. However, I can see some bulb irises coming up so there is hope.
Gosh, I hope that snow melts soon!
Ooops. I’ve been calling them Crocuses! How embarrassing. 😉 And, yes, I do enjoy them. Mine haven’t bloomed yet, but I only recently removed the thick layer of leaf mulch that was covering. I’m sure they’ll be blooming in this nice warm weather we’ll be having for the next few days. Great photos!
I was calling them crocuses too, it sounds more “correct” than the correct words.
Yes, we have crocus. Thanks for explaining the plural; now I don’t need to look it up.
Someone had to solve the mystery.
Your crocus are lovely and are a nice welcome sign that spring is here at last.
Thank you.
Yes mam’ I like Crocus very much. Last year I put in dozens, this year a few remain. In the woodland restoration I’m working some showed up this year where there were none before. It’s like magic. The insects are finding all these spring blooms!
Happy Gardening
Teresa Marie
Some of your crocus must have been dinner for rodents, too bad. But the unexpected ones help make up for that!
No doubt. Still too early here for crocus, but it does provide for the native bees which are early foragers and fly in colder weather than the honeybees. I am surprised your crocus are blooming now since your weather is usually right on schedule with what we have here.
Lovely crocus, it’s great to finally see spring blooms!! I linked to your site from another blog, glad I did!!
Michael
http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/blooms-are-every-where/
http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/ostrich-ferns-emerge/
Yes, it really is lovely to see them.
I love crocus but so do the voles so I am not adding anymore…but the bees love the iris reticulata and the Puschkinia so i am happy as the voles don’t like them.