When to plant and prune Crocus (spring-flowering)
Crocus (spring-flowering) flowers from early February to late March and the dates below cover planting and flowering.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Crocus (spring-flowering) is timed from the average frost dates, so its timings shift across the UK. Plot works them out from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to late November | early February to late March |
| South Coast and Channel | late September to mid November | early February to late March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to late November | early February to late March |
| South East and Home Counties | mid September to late October | early February to late March |
| East Anglia | early September to late October | early February to late March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early September to late October | early February to late March |
| Wales and West Coast | mid September to early November | early February to late March |
| Northern England | late August to mid October | early February to late March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late August to early October | early February to late March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early August to mid September | early February to late March |
| Northern Ireland | mid September to late October | early February to late March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to late November | early February to late March |
Growing notes
Depth: plant species crocus such as C. tommasinianus and C. chrysanthus 7-10cm deep, and the larger Dutch hybrids used in lawns about 12cm deep, roughly 9cm apart - consistent with the general bulb rule of two to three times the bulb's own height. An early pollen source for bees on warm late-winter days.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 9 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 10 cm
- Eventual spread
- 8 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 5 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 5 out of 5
Feeding
Not needed in the ground; corms in containers benefit from a high-potassium liquid feed while in leaf after flowering.
Pruning: what to avoid
Do not mow grass or lawns containing crocuses until the foliage has yellowed and died back - mowing too early starves the corms and the display fades away.
Pruning group
No pruning or deadheading needed; let the foliage die back naturally after flowering
What usually goes wrong
- birds pecking flowers
- squirrels and rodents digging up corms
- fungal corm rot in wet soil
- display fading if grass is mown too early
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for crocus (spring-flowering).