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Plant Database
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Waterlily Autumn Crocus
Colchicum 'Waterlily'
Height: 6 inches
Spacing: 5 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4a
Description:
This late summer to early fall blooming bulb plant produces pretty lilac pink flowers that resemble water lilies; foliage emerges in spring, yellows and dies by summer, and then the flowers emerge on naked stems; great for beds and rock gardens
Ornamental Features
Waterlily Autumn Crocus features showy lilac purple cup-shaped flowers with rose overtones at the ends of the stems from late summer to early fall. Its oval leaves remain green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Waterlily Autumn Crocus is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and may require the occasional pruning to look its best. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Waterlily Autumn Crocus is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Waterlily Autumn Crocus will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 5 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen! As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Waterlily Autumn Crocus is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
Characteristics
Applications
Ornamental Features