Meadow saffron
Colchicum autumnale · Colchicaceae
Large, crocus-like goblets of lilac-pink or white appear straight from the bare ground in autumn, with no leaves. The big, glossy leaves come up in spring and die away by midsummer.
- Size
- 6 in tall, 8 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Mid September to mid October
- Pets
- Toxic (severe)
- Job in a bed
- Bulb layer
A bed built around meadow saffron
The planner designed this bed around meadow saffron when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why meadow saffron stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Dianthus 'Kahori' × 3, pink
- 2 Leadwort × 15, blue
- 3 Foxglove beardtongue × 3, white
- 4 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 4, purple
- 5 Globe arborvitae 'Danica' × 1, green leaves
- 6 Caucasian scabious 'Fama' × 3, blue
- 7 Meadow saffron × 7, pink
- 8 Schubert's allium × 2, pink
Why this plant
- A classic partner for leadwort. Both are on this plan. A pairing gardeners have proved outranks a general rule.
Why here
- Near the front. At 6 in it stands ahead of caucasian scabious 'Fama' (24 in) without hiding it.
- 7 plants in one handful. In the gaps between other plants, which fill the space when the bulb is not in growth.
- Beside leadwort. A recognised partner: the planner puts such plants together where it can.
Why now
- In flower for five weeks. From mid September to mid October.
- In company. With leadwort and Tatarian aster 'Jindai' in early October: 3 kinds at once.
- Leaves gone by midsummer. They die back and leave bare ground. A perennial that comes up late stands beside it, and grows over the gap.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The bed is tied together by its repeats: two kinds come round again along it, leadwort and Tatarian aster 'Jindai'. Low plants run along 100% of the front edge: leadwort and dianthus 'Kahori'.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where meadow saffron goes in a border
At 6 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is ground-hugging (up to 6 in).
Its job: bulb layer. Small bulbs planted in handfuls of five or seven in the gaps between other plants, for colour before the perennials wake up.
Plant it through a low groundcover, such as leadwort or cranesbill, which supports the leafless flowers and hides the dying leaves in early summer.
- A surprise of colour in autumn
- Under deciduous shrubs
- Through low groundcover
What to plant with meadow saffron
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Leadwort: in flower together for four weeks, from mid September; grows up in time to hide its dying leaves; medium leaves against its bold ones.
- Cranesbill 'Rozanne': in flower together for four weeks, from mid September; grows up in time to hide its dying leaves; medium leaves against its bold ones.
- Lady's mantle: flowers first, late May to early July, so the spot is never empty; grows up in time to hide its dying leaves; medium leaves against its bold ones.
Questions about meadow saffron
Does meadow saffron need sun or shade?
Meadow saffron grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does meadow saffron grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does meadow saffron flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid September to mid October. As an autumn flower it keeps much the same dates in every zone: it answers to shortening days and cool nights more than to the warmth of spring.
| Zone 4 | Mid September to mid October |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Mid September to mid October |
| Zone 6 | Mid September to mid October |
| Zone 7 | Mid September to mid October |
| Zone 8 | Mid September to mid October |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should meadow saffron be planted?
6 in (15 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 8 in (20 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 6 in (15 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many meadow saffron plants do I need?
At 6 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 48 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 21 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 153 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as handfuls of five or seven, in the gaps between other plants.
In the bed above, the planner used seven in one group.
Is meadow saffron poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts are extremely poisonous if eaten, and can be fatal. Wear gloves to handle the bulbs.
Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Do deer eat meadow saffron?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What can I plant to hide meadow saffron's leaves after it flowers?
A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:
- Lady's mantle: 18 in tall and 24 in wide, a recorded partner, in flower late May to early July.
- Cranesbill 'Rozanne': 18 in tall and 24 in wide, a recorded partner, in flower early June to early October.
- Catmint 'Walker's Low': 24 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid May to mid September.
What does meadow saffron look like in winter?
Meadow saffron is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.
Is meadow saffron good for bees and butterflies?
Meadow saffron is visited by bees and butterflies.
More Colchicum
- Colchicum 'Waterlily' Colchicum 'Waterlily'
In these guides
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Garden plants toxic to cats
- Garden plants toxic to dogs
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Plants that flower in fall
- Plants for a white garden
Every fact on record
- Type
- Bulb
- Size
- 6 in (15 cm) tall, 8 in (20 cm) wide
- Plant
- 6 in (15 cm) apart
- Height class
- Ground-hugging (up to 6 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid September to mid October; open bowls; pink, white
- Leaves
- Bold texture, summer-dormant; green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Colchicaceae
- Comes from
- Central and Southeastern Europe
- Attracts
- Bees, butterflies
- Stands up to
- Rabbits, drought
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.