Autumn Crocus or Meadow Saffron, Colchicum autumnale has been known from the time of the ancient Greeks as an effective treatment to relieve the pain of gouty arthritis. It is a powerful and effective medicine whose dosage must be prescribed with care less damage results to the patients presumably already fragile kidneys.
The common name Naked Ladies makes reference to the plants' growing habit. The straplike leaves appear in spring, then die down in summer with no foliage present when the flowers appear in late summer or fall.
It is usually the corms of Colchicum autumnale or perhaps C.byzantinum that you will find at the garden centre in the fall. Quite often they will be flowering right in their package as nothing holds them back from their seasonal display. The flowers are light purple although white is sometimes offered. It would be a shame if people are put off from enjoying this beautiful late season flower in their garden due only to its association with medicine.
In no way do I want to encourage anyone in such needless concerns but for the persistently timid let me tell you about Autumn Crocus that really are Crocus and not Colchicums. When Daffodils and Tulips are in the stores, look for the corms of true fall-flowering crocuses. A well-stocked garden centre will have Crocus pulchellus, C. speciosus and C. sativus whose pollen gives us the culinary Saffron.
For gardeners who are already growing fall-flowering crocus and are now wondering if they are true Crocus or Colchicum; let me give you a brief lesson on botany. The two plants belong to different families. The pollen-producing anthers and the filiment that holds them is the stamen. Colchicum belongs with the Lilies and will have six stamens. Crocus is in the Iris family and will (usually) have only three.
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