Crocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of low-growing perennials. They are native to the Alps, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean.
Crocuses grow from corms. They have grass-like leaves and colorful, goblet-shaped blooms.
There are two main types of crocus: one blooms in spring and the other one in the fall. The spring-flowering sorts have a floral tube so long that the ovary is belowground, sheltered from climatic changes. The fall-flowering Crocus sativus gives us saffron.
Unlike snowdrops which may bloom on any of the milder but still winter days, the colorful crocuses surely herald the warmer days of springtime. Their appearance signifies that the winter has departed.
I took this photo in Basel’s Schützenmattpark yesterday.