What: In September, Colchicum “Waterlily’s” pink and creamy white buds burst from the ground and quickly open to large fully double lavender-pink blooms. The vibrant flowers are a welcome site at this time of the year and really do look like waterlily blooms! Bright green strappy shiny foliage will appear in late winter through early summer, after which the bulb will go dormant till late summer. This double-flowered autumn crocus is completely drought tolerant.
Where: Autumn crocus grows best in well-drained soil with full sun.
Size: This beautiful bulb grows to be 1 foot tall and 6 inches wide when mature.
Care: When it blooms it has no leaves, so planting it next to a smaller groundcover will help to support the flower. In winter, the strappy green leaves appear and can be cut back in early summer once they start to yellow.
— Richie Steffen, Great Plant Picks
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