'Remembrance' Crocus Bulbs

• Variety: Remembrance
• Latin name: Crocus vernus 'Remembrance'
• Type: Dutch large-flowered crocus (C. vernus)
• Colour: Shiny violet, orange stamens
• Height: 10cm (4in)
• Flowering: Late winter into April
• Naturalises: Yes, in borders and short grass
• RHS AGM: No
• RHS Plants for Pollinators: Yes
• Sun/shade: Full sun
• Sold as: Premium size dry bulbs, in packs of 25
• Plant: In autumn, when the bulbs arrive, at 3 times their depth
• Delivered: September to December. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Remembrance is a Dutch crocus, 10cm (4in) tall, with shiny violet flowers and orange stamens from late winter into April. It suits lawns, borders and pots, and each flower lasts about three weeks.

Remembrance Crocus: Shiny Violet Cups With Orange Centres

Each flower is a shiny violet cup with bright orange stamens, standing above grassy leaves marked with a narrow silver stripe. It opens in sunshine and closes at night and in dull weather, which protects the pollen from rain.

Remembrance does best in full sun and in soil with good drainage. The RHS lists chalk, clay, loam and sand as suitable and rates it H6, so it copes with a cold winter anywhere in the UK.

Plant them by the pack, not by the pair. A crocus stands only 10cm (4in) tall, so a pack in one drift shows from the house window. In short grass, scatter the corms, plant each one where it lands, and leave the grass uncut until the leaves have turned yellow.

Where Remembrance Came From: A Century in the Garden

Remembrance was introduced in the early 1900s, so it has now been in gardens for over a century. Left undisturbed, it can last for decades.

What Goes With Remembrance?

Violet looks best against yellow. Plant it with Yellow Mammoth crocus, a Dutch crocus in orange-yellow, or with Tête-à-Tête daffodils, which flower from late February into April and overlap with it.

Crocus flower while the trees above them are still bare, so a drift under birch, cherry blossom or crab apple from the garden trees collection gets all the light it needs.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge Nurseries checks every bulb before it leaves and only sells premium sizes, because bigger bulbs store more energy for the flowers. Covered by our plant guarantee: if more than one bulb in ten from a pack fails to come up, the ones that failed are replaced. The rest of the range is in the crocus collection. Ashridge has sold plants by post since 1949, and the team in Castle Cary will answer the phone if you have a question.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grow Remembrance crocus in pots?

Yes, crocus are among the best bulbs for pots and window boxes, because they are small and shallow rooted. Use a container with drainage holes, plant the corms at 3 times their depth and stand it in the sun. The guide to growing bulbs in pots has the detail.

When should I plant Remembrance crocus bulbs?

Plant them as soon as they arrive. Delivery runs from September to December, and October suits crocus best, because after a dry summer the ground is often too hard in early September. The guide to when to plant bulbs covers storing them until you are ready.

When do Remembrance crocus flower?

From late winter into April, depending on the weather. Each flower lasts about three weeks. The month by month flowering guide shows what else is out at the same time.

Will Remembrance crocus come back every year?

Yes. The leaves die down after flowering and the corms flower again the next spring, and left undisturbed they can last for decades. Leave the leaves alone until they have turned yellow, because that is when the corm stores its food for next year. See when to cut back spent bulb foliage.

Do crocus naturalise in lawns?

Yes. Scatter the corms over short grass, plant each one where it lands, and leave that patch uncut until the leaves have turned yellow. Remembrance is a Dutch crocus, so its large flowers show well against short grass.

Do squirrels and mice eat crocus corms?

They can. Squirrels and rodents are good at finding crocus corms and will dig them up. If you see holes, pin chicken wire over the soil until the shoots show, then lift it off. Deer leave crocus alone.