Chilean Blue Crocus

Both the specific epithet cyanocrocus and the common name "Chilean blue crocus" highlight the plant's passing resemblance to the true crocus. However, the two plants are not closely related, and there is no blue crocus, either in the wild or in cultivation. In its native habitat, the plant blooms from October to November, which is springtime in the Southern Hemisphere. In northern climates, it flowers from February to March. Tecophilaea cyanocrocus grows on stems up to 4 in (10 cm) tall, with 1-3 linear fleshy leaves. The single flowers are approximately 1 in (2.5 cm) across, goblet shaped, and are an unusual deep gentian blue color, with a whitish center. The root is a nearly spherical corm with a fibrous cover.

T. cyanocrocus is hardy in USDA Zones 9-10; in essentially frost-free mild climate areas (e.g. Northern New Zealand, Ireland, much of northern California) Tecophilaea cyanocrocus may be successfully grown in open rock gardens exposed to the weather. However, tecophilaea is somewhat frost-tender and cannot withstand hard freezes. Where winter freezes may occur, such as the Pacific Northwest, tecophilaea is best grown in containers that can be protected from very cold weather. Nonetheless, as long as the temperature does not drop much below freezing, tecophilaea is healthier for being kept in the open during winter. Tecohilaea grows best in a well-drained, circum-neutral (pH 6-7) soil. The corms go dormant during summer, and water should be entirely withheld once the foliage fades after the springtime period of active growth. However, tecophilaea does not benefit from the summer baking that most tulips and many crocuses benefit from. On the contrary, tecophilaea prefers dry, but rather cool soil in summer. Putting the pots in which it is grown in the shade, out of direct sun, is desirable. Water should be withheld until new growth appears in the fall as the soil cools, then increased. …