WHENEVER I hear someone refer to colchicums, I always think of naked ladies – but only because that’s their common name. Perhaps I’d be safer referring to them as autumn crocus? The trouble is, that just confuses the situation further.
Although similar in appearance, in a botanical sense the two are unrelated. Colchicums are in the lily family, whereas true autumn crocuses belong to the iris family. However, both are equally invaluable in the autumn garden.
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