Bright crocuses in the sunny spring light by Silva Wischeropp

This floral, spring-like blossom motif was captured in the late afternoon hours of 20 March 2019 with a NIKON D90 (lens: SIGMA 18.0-70.0 mm f/3.5-4.5).

In late winter and early spring, small crocuses add the first vibrant splashes of colour to parks and gardens. Crocuses prefer well-drained soil – certainly not waterlogged, but not too light either. In spring, the site should be fairly moist; during dormancy, it should be fairly dry.
Crocuses mark the beginning and end of the gardening year
In late winter and early spring, the little crocuses add the first bursts of colour to parks and gardens. Crocuses prefer well-drained soil – by no means waterlogged, but not too light either. In spring, the site should be fairly moist; during dormancy, it should be fairly dry.

Crocuses have been cultivated so extensively for so long that even specialists can scarcely maintain a complete overview. The most common varieties in gardens and parks are those of the spring crocus (Crocus vernus) as well as large-flowered cultivated hybrids, primarily derived from the golden crocus (Crocus chrysanthus), the Balkan crocus (Crocus flavus) and the originally rather delicate dwarf or peasant crocus (Crocus tommasinianus).
The number of ‘botanical crocuses’ is given as between 80 and 120, depending on the definition. There are, of course, no such thing as ‘animal crocuses’; the term refers to the wild species as distinct from the ornamental varieties cultivated by gardeners – often hybrids between different species. Wild crocuses are found exclusively in the temperate latitudes of Europe and Asia, as well as in North Africa, with the main distribution in the Mediterranean region stretching from Italy through the Balkans and Greece to Turkey and the Caucasus.
Together with irises and gladioli, crocuses belong to the iris family. The bulb-like tubers resemble those of gladioli in shape, whilst irises form more rhizomes.