Crocuses can be safely called the first harbingers of spring, although there are species that bloom in the fall. They belong to the iris family and are small perennial bulbous plants with various color of flower petals. Today there are about three hundred varieties of this plant. Crocuses vary in bloom and flower color.
Did you know? The name "Crocus" comes from ancient Greek and is translated as "thread", "fiber", and "saffron" - from Arabic and is translated as "yellow".
Consider the species of crocuses and their main types and varieties.
Adams Saffron (Crocus Adami)
Named in honor of the botanist M.I. Adam. The homeland of the species is considered to be the Central Caucasus, Iran. Peduncle has a height of 4-6 cm. Flowers can be from light lilac to dark purple in color with a whitish or yellowish middle diameter of 3-5 cm. Leaves are narrow, growing in 5-7 cm long. The flowering period is the second half of April and lasts up to 25 days. 
Altavsky saffron (Crocus alatavicus)
The species is considered the native land of Central Asia. Peduncle has a height of 6 - 8 cm. The flower is white with a yellow center, outside the dark purple color. Leaves thin 3-5 cm long appear during flowering. The plant blooms in early April for 20-25 days. 
Banata saffron (Crocus banaticus)
The height of the plant is 15-30 cm. The leaves are thin, 15 cm long. The flowers are pale lilac or lilac with six petals. The three petals of the inner circle are much smaller than the three petals of the outer circle. The flowering period is September. Listed in the Red Book of Serbia and Ukraine. 
Important! Flower growers are often engaged in forcing crocuses - growing plants to a specific date, for example, by March 8 or the New Year. Such cultivation has many subtleties and secrets.
Spring Saffron (Crocus vernus)
Plant height up to 15 cm. The color of flowers can be white, purple, violet in diameter of 3.5-5 cm. The outer shares of the perianth are much larger than the internal ones. Maternal corm is updated annually. Ground stem of the plant does not develop. The flowering period is the second half of April. 
This species has many varieties:
- "Agnes" - a flower with a diameter of 3.5 cm of light lilac color with a silver border;
- "Vanguard" - a flower with a diameter of 4.5 cm bluish-purple color, outside silver, blooms in April;
- "Glory of Sassenheim" - a flower with a diameter of 5 cm grayish color with light purple stripes and purple base;
- "Jubili" - a flower with a diameter of 5 cm of blue color, a bright edge and a purple base;
- "Jeanne d'arc" - a flower with a diameter of 9 cm white;
- "Queen of de Blues" - a flower with a diameter of 4.5 cm light blue, with a bright edge and a dark base;
- "Kathleen Perlow" - a flower with a diameter of 4.5 cm in white;
- "Little Dorrit" - a flower of silver-blue color;
- "Nigro Boy" - a flower with a diameter of 4.5 cm in dark purple color with a purple base, blooms in late May;
- "Pallas" - a flower with a diameter of 5 cm grayish color with lilac stripes and purple base;
- "Paulus Potter" - a flower with a diameter of 5 cm in dark purple with a red tinge;
- Purpureu Grandiflora - a flower with a diameter of 4.5 cm in purple with a dark base;
- "Remembrans" - a flower with a diameter of 5.5 cm purple-silver color with a dark base;
- "Snowstar" - a flower with a diameter of 5 cm white with purple stripes at the base;
- "Flower Record" - a flower with a diameter of 11 cm purple, refers to the Dutch hybrids. Plant height up to 15 cm, leaves appear after flowering. Blossoms for 25 days.
Geifel Saffron (Crocus heuffelianus)
Named in honor of the botanist of the nineteenth century. I. Geyfelya. Homeland of the plant is considered Transcarpathia and Western Europe. It is a variety of spring crocus and is one of the largest spring-flowering crocuses. The flowers are 10-12 cm high, and the leaves during flowering are 2-5 cm. The petals are painted purple with a darker base and apex. The flowering period - the beginning of April for 25 days. The plant in size of the flower and ornamental is not inferior to the Dutch hybrids. 
Golden-flowered saffron (Crocus chrysanthus)
It grows to a height of 20 cm. The leaves are narrow and appear in April along with flowers. Duration of flowering up to 20 days. The flower is golden in color with curved perianth segments. The most common varieties of this type:
- "Blue Bonn" - pearl-blue flowers with a yellow center;
- "Snowbinding" - white flowers;
- "Cream Beauty" - flowers of cream color.
Korolkov saffron (Crocus korolkowii)
The native land of the species Korolkov Crocus is Northern Uzbekistan. It grows 10-30 cm tall with bright orange flowers with red stripes on the outside. Leaves narrow bunched with a white stripe in the center with a length of 5-6 cm. It blooms in early April. Listed in the Red Book. 
Pallas saffron (Crocus pallasii)
Treats undersized, not higher than 5-6 cm, grades. The flowers are soft purple with a pink tinge and have a purple base and reach 4.5 cm in diameter. It blooms in autumn - in September throughout the entire month. Leaves narrow, up to 20 cm long, appear in April. 
Saffron fine (Crocus speciosus)
Refers to the most popular species. The flower is large, up to 12 cm in diameter, blue-violet in color with dark or purple veins. Crocus of this species belongs to the autumn flowering. The beginning of flowering begins in September and lasts for a month. Leaves 20-30 cm long and 0.6-1.3 cm wide appear in spring and die in summer. 
The most common varieties of this type:
- "Albus" - white flowers;
- "Artabir" - flowers of lilac color;
- "Kassiope" - flowers of blue;
- "Oxonion" - flowers of dark blue color;
- "Pallux" - flowers of light purple color.
Saffron is light yellow (Crocus flarus Weston)
The height of the peduncle is up to 5-8 cm. The flower is golden-orange in color with inconspicuous purple stripes on the outside, reaching a diameter of 6-7 cm. The flowering period is mid-April. 
Did you know? The clothes of the ancient kings were yellow. They were stained with saffron. And in ancient China only the emperor used saffron paint. No one else was allowed to do this.
Net saffron (Crocus reticulatus)
The homeland of the species is considered to be Central and Southern Europe, the Caucasus and Asia Minor. The leaves of the plant are thin, their length during the flowering period is 2-4 cm, and the length of the flower is 6-10 cm. 2-4 flowers grow from one bulb. The flower is light purple with dark brown stripes on the outside in diameter of 3-4 cm. The flowering period is the first half of April for 25 days. Listed in the Red Book. 
Tomazini saffron (Crocus tomasinianus)
Homeland of this species is considered Yugoslavia, Hungary. Refers to the most unpretentious spring varieties. Can grow in dark places. The beginning of flowering begins in April. Flowers of pink and lilac tones with a clarified middle in diameter reach 3-5 cm. The length of the leaves during flowering is 7 cm. The flowering period is the beginning of April for 20-25 days. Differs ability to intensive reproduction: for the season it grows up to six new tubers. 
The varieties of this species include:
- "Bar People" - flowers of lilac color;
- "Ruby Giant" - large flowers of dark purple-red color;
- "Whitewell Purple" - flowers of dark purple-lilac color with mauve center.
Angustifolia saffron (Crocus angustifolius)
In 1587, this species of crocuses was brought from Constantinople to the Imperial Botanical Garden of Vienna. In nature, found in the Crimea, the Balkans and Asia Minor. Plant height is up to 15 cm. Flowers of this species of crocuses are golden yellow, outside they have three contrasting red brownish lines, 2.5 cm in diameter. The leaves are narrow, reach a length of 20-25 cm. The corm is large up to 2 cm in diameter. The flowering period is April. 
Sage saffron (Crocus sativus)
India is considered the birthplace of the species. The world is grown on an industrial scale for the food industry. Plant height 15-30 cm with narrow leaves. Flowers are light purple or white with six petals and violet scent. Flowering lasts about two weeks. Refers to hybrids. 
Important! Saffron is added to the dough, pilaf to give a beautiful color and a pleasant aroma. For coloring 3 liters of water in yellow, two stigmas of saffron are enough.
Sieber saffron (Crocus sieberi)
The homeland of the plant is considered to be Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia. It is considered one of the most beautiful ornamental types of crocuses. The height of the plant is 8-10 cm. The flowers have a tricolor color and can be from light pink to dark purple. The center of the flower is yellow. 
Having considered what crocuses are, we can say that they can be grown both in the country and on the windowsill. The choice of crocus cultivars should be based on the flowering period and color of the flowers. You should also pay attention to the size of the flower and flowering time. Creating compositions of different varieties, it is possible to achieve that crocuses will bloom continuously and will delight you for a long time.
