Crocus

Tracey B

I am not very clever when it comes to gardening terms. What does perennial mean?

Also, do crocuses flower more than once? As mine have flowered but shoots are still fine. It would be a shame to throw them away if they were to flower again.

Thanks

From Tracey

Dovefromabove

Hi Tracey 

Annual means that the plant will grow, flower/seed and then die in one year. It will not flower the following year.  i.e. it lasts one year. 

Perennial means that the plant will flower year after year. It will probably die down each winter but each following year it will grow again and flower and produce seeds. i.e. it goes on for several, sometimes many years. 

Bi-ennial means that you sow the seeds and a plant grows one year, then it dies down over the winter and in the spring the plant grows into a mature plant, flowers, produces seeds and then dies. i.e. it lasts two years.

There's a more detailed explanation here http://www.edinburghgardenschool.com/2013/06/definitions-of-annual-biennial-perennial-ephemeral /

Crocuses won't produce more flowers this year, but the leaves will die down and feed the corms (bulbs) and next spring they'll flower again.  With any luck the corms will have multiplied and you'll have even more flowers in following years. 

Hope that helps 

Fairygirl

Hi Tracey - perennial ust means a plant that dies back for winter and reappears the following year. 

Crocus come back each year too - leave the foliage to die back as that feeds the bulbs for the following year. It can be good to take off the flowering stems when the flowers are finished, as they look slimy. I've been doing that this morning with some of mine 

Fairygirl

Snap Dove 

Dovefromabove

Snap Fairy 

Tracey B

Thanks for the replies. They are very useful. I can now go & continue in my garden.

 From Tracey