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About Periwinkle and Autumn Crocus


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber  
Flowering Plants, Shrubs  

Origin
Mediterranean, Turkey  
Madagascar  

Types
Colchicum autumnale  
Purple vinca, Vinca, cherry red, strawberry color  

Number of Varieties
25  
99+
30  
99+

Habitat
Lawn, meadows, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden  
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions  

USDA Hardiness Zone
6-9  
4-9  

AHS Heat Zone
9-1  
12-1  

Sunset Zone
21,22  
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  

Habit
Clump-Forming  
Clump-Forming  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
7.60 cm  
99+
1.97 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
7.60 cm  
99+
2.96 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Fuchsia, Rose  
Magenta, Pink, Rose  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
-  

Fruit Color
-  
-  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green  
Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green  
Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green  
Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green  
Dark Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Long Broad  
Oval  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Fall  
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Partial shade  

Growth Rate
Medium  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam  
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral  
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall  
Fall, Spring, Summer  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought, Pollution, Salt  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Container, Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
Corms or bulbs, Seedlings  
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting  

Plant Maintenance
Low  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged  
Does not require lot of watering, Medium  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral  
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline  

Soil Type
Loam  
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Partial shade  

Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves  
Prune ocassionally  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in summer  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Slugs  
Botrytis Blight, Canker, Crown rot, Pythium rot, Root rot  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Yes  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Coarse  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
-  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
Yes  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
No  
Yes  

Attracts
Bees, Butterflies  
Butterflies  

Allergy
poisonous if ingested, Toxic if not prepared properly  
Intestinal gas, Nausea, Vomiting  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes  
Beautification, Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
Removes pimples  
-  

Edible Uses
No  
No  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Gout, Itching  
Chest pain, High blood pressure, Inflammation, Sore throat, Tooth ache, Wounds  

Part of Plant Used
Bulbs, Flowers, Seeds  
Whole plant  

Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties  
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
Yes  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Alpine, Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall  
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
Colchicum autumnale  
Catharanthus roseus  

Common Name
Autumn Crocus, meadow saffron, naked lady  
Madagascar periwinkle or rosy periwinkle  

In Hindi
शरद ऋतु का पौधा  
Periwinkle  

In German
Herbstzeitlose  
Immergrün  

In French
colchique d'automne  
Pervenche  

In Spanish
cólquico  
Bígaro  

In Greek
φθινόπωρο κρόκος  
μυρτιά  

In Portuguese
aftomn gema  
Mirta  

In Polish
aftomn żółtka  
Barwinek  

In Latin
aftomn vitellus  
Periwinkle  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Mollusca  

Class
Liliopsida  
Gastropoda  

Order
Liliales  
Geraniales  

Family
Liliaceae  
Apocynaceae  

Genus
Colchicum  
Catharanthus  

Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots  
-  

Tribe
Colchiceae  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
160  
99+
8  
99+

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