Colchicum or colchicum (Colchicum) is a genus of perennial bulbous bulbous flowering herbs of the Colchicum family (Colchicaceae), growing in Europe, the Caucasus, India, Central Asia and North Africa. Many species are grown in flower beds, used for forcing.
- Family: Colchicums.
- Origin: Asia Minor, Mediterranean.
- Rhizome: corm.
- Stem: short bare erect.
- Leaves: oblong-lanceolate.
- Fruit: three-celled or rhombic capsule.
- Reproductive ability: propagated by daughter corms, less often by seeds.
- Illumination: photophilous.
- Watering: limited.
- Content temperature: frost-resistant.
- Flowering time: 10-15 days in September-October.
Description of Colchicum flowers
Kolchikum flower in the photo
Colchicum or kolchikum (photo above) is a flowering herbaceous perennial with elongated corms 3-5 cm in size, brown dry or membranous sheaths of which form a long neck covering the lower part of the flower. Most species have an unusual development cycle for bulbous crops. In early spring, numerous short, from 10 to 50 cm, false stems with a basal rosette of large, 25 cm long, 15 cm wide, bare ellipsoid leaves appear, dying off by early summer, when the plant is dormant. In autumn, only single colchicum flowers grow out of the ground. After they wither, fruits begin to develop at the base of the perianth tube, which come to the surface in spring, along with leaves. The process of their maturation lasts until the beginning of summer and ends by the time the leaves dry. It is because of this life cycle that the culture is called colchicum, although there are a few species in the genus that bloom in the spring. The scientific name, kolchikum, is given to the flower by the historical name of the area on the Black Sea, Colchis (in Greek – colchis), the birthplace of some species.
The plant is widely used in cultivation due to the bright and showy flowers, painted in white, lilac purple, growing from each bulb one or several pieces. The colchicum flower has a funnel-bell-shaped simple or double perianth 5–15 cm in diameter with a long cylindrical tube and a six-part limb, its height together with the tube can reach 25 cm.
Kolhikum: planting and growing
Culture prefers sunny places and loose, humus-rich soil. They are unpretentious in care – they do not require additional fertilizing and watering, they only need weeding and loosening. They grow in one place for no more than 5-6 years, then, due to depletion of the soil, they begin to bloom worse, the bulbs become small, which indicates the need for division and transplantation to a new place.
Corms are usually dug up in the middle of summer, after the aerial part has completely disappeared. They are cleaned of dirt and old roots, dried and then stored at a temperature of 22-24 ° C. Colchicums are planted at the end of August, digging into the soil pre-filled with humus to a depth of 5-10 cm, and then watering abundantly. Large corms can be used for forcing.
When cultivating colchicum, it must be remembered that all parts of the plant contain the poisonous alkaloid colchicine. Work with bulbs and flowers is done with gloves, protecting the skin from the juice that causes burns. Even the water in which the flowers stood for some time is dangerous. Particular care must be taken if small children or pets are present on the site.