Crocus << KROH kuhs >> is the name of a group of small flowering plants native to southern Europe and Asia and cultivated in many regions of the world. A crocus grows from a thick, bulblike stem called a corm. The leaves look like large blades of grass. The flower consists of six nearly equal segments and may be white, yellow, or purplish. Some crocuses bloom early in spring, and others in the autumn. A popular spring-blooming species, the cloth-of-gold crocus, has a bright orange-yellow flower. Most crocuses grow only about 3 or 4 inches (8 to 10 centimeters) high.
Gardeners plant crocuses about 3 inches (8 centimeters) deep in rich soil. After the plants bloom, the corms die and new ones grow in their place.
Crocus is the Latin word for saffron. Saffron was once used extensively to make an orange-yellow dye and as a flavoring for food. Commercial saffron is obtained from the saffron crocus, which is grown mainly in France, Italy, and Spain. See Saffron.
The colchicum is a flowering plant that closely resembles crocuses. It is often called autumn crocus or meadow saffron (see Colchicum). The prairie crocus, also called the eastern or American pasqueflower, is not a true crocus, but rather a pasqueflower (see Pasqueflower).
