The invasion has begun! The occupation of the gardens is inevitable. We are vastly outnumbered, and borders have been crossed! But before you start heading for the bunkers, DON’T PANIC CAPTAIN MAINWARING! The ‘Tommies’ are here.
In (increasing) areas of lawns and parks, you might to notice carpets of flowers in shades of lavender (not Ian), mauve and lilac. Specifically in this case, Crocus tommasinianus.
Native to Bulgaria and Hungary, the flower is named after the botanist Muzio G Spirito de Tommasini (I won’t be saying that again). Flowering during January and February, they are one of the earliest Crocuses or Croci (smarty-pants can decide which is correct), to bloom.
There are many varieties of Crocus, and they all have a quality that can be found in other flowers such as dandelions, Tulips and Waterlilies. Photo nastic movement, which is a non-directional response to light. The flowers open in light and close when dark. This differs to Tropic movement, which is a direct response of a plant. e.g. Thigmotropism is a response to touch stimulus. Wisterias stems wrap around an anchor point in this way. So ends the Botany lesson.
The best known Crocus is, surely, Crocus sativus or Saffron. Globally, the most expensive spice, with an ounce of Saffron costing more than an ounce of gold. The variety ‘Victorianus Beckhammii is more commonly referred to as ‘Posh Spice’.
Allen Harvey
