Companion planting for Colchicum - Autumn Crocus?

I have a couple of glorious patches of Autumn Crocus in my garden, with their lush leaves in spring and their wonderful patches of mauve in the fall. But, this time of year when those same lush leaves are dying down, they really don’t look great.

Does anyone have suggestions for some kind of companion planting for Colchicum that may help disguise the fading foliage?


I have a patch combined with periwinkle (that needs to be kept in check) and remove the colchicum foliage as soon as it wilts.

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Thanks Teresa, my spot isn’t suitable for periwinkle. I’m hoping someone might have a suggestion for something that comes up later in the spring when my colchicum foliage is starting to wither, and that might work as a support for the beautiful flowers in the autumn. Up to now I am just giving up and putting potted things on top of them once they are finished, but it’s not ideal.

One source suggests planting “Majestic” Big Blue Lilyturf (tough evergreen groundcover) or “Superbum” Himalayan Fleeceflower (also a groundcover). Another source suggests planting colchicum in wire baskets, lifting them when the flowers fade, and re-planting elsewhere to finish their growth cycle. But that might be too much work! I have these too, but so far haven’t done anything innovative with them :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thanks, Elizabeth, those are great suggestions! I really don’t want to dig them all up but I do like the idea of those groundcovers and will have a look at them to see what their requirements are. :slight_smile:

I have the same situation. Good for the bulbs to let the leaves feed the bulb for next year blooms. This year the rains really knocked the blooms down. once the leaves start to dry I slighty cover with loose bark mulch.

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