Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale)

It’s that time of year for the delicate Autumn Crocus flowers to raise their heads out of the ground. Other names are Meadow Saffron and Naked Lady. Now you might be scratching your head, wondering why Crocus flowers would be blooming in September. We tend to think of Crocuses as spring season flowers. The Autumn Crocus flower gets its name due to its resemblance to springtime Crocuses, but in reality they both belong to separate plant families. The Autumn Crocus is a very poisonous plant. It contains colchicine, a drug used for the treatment of gout.

The Autumn Crocus have slender, pale green, translucent stems that are quite delicate looking. In fact, I have seen them bend down to the ground after a heavy wind and rain and stay that way if the stem is damaged. Today was a lovely, sunny day, and I ventured out to Point Defiance Park, in Tacoma, specifically to see if these flowers were in bloom. Yes, they are! You can spot them around the Japanese Garden area and sporadically throughout the rest of the flower gardens. It’s interesting to photograph these flowers in different light. I like to photograph them in both bright and shaded areas. Purple is one of those colors that expose radically different in various light conditions. The less the light, the bluer the shade of purple. Below are examples of what I am referring to.

I love the Autumn Crocus! They are so pretty! But they don’t last too long. As stated above, they are quite fragile to the elements. So look around for these lovely, purple blooms this month in your local garden. Enjoy their beauty while they last!

Photos property of Peggy A Thompson