The spring flowering Crocus varieties have never been cultivated for non-gardening purposes, but they have enjoyed enormous popularity as garden flowers. In fact, Crocus vernus is one of the bulbs credited with starting Holland’s bulb business.
The first crocus in the Netherlands came from corms brought back from the Roman Empire in the 1560s. A few corms were forwarded to Carolus Clusius at the botanical garden in Leiden. By 1620, new garden varieties had been developed, such as the cream-colored crocus similar to varieties still on the market today.