February 21: Crocuses

Today's plant is the White crocus, Crocus versicolor, which is dedicated to St Severianus. These pretty flowers are starting to appear about now, telling us spring is on its way. 10 things you might not know about crocuses.

1. They belong to the Iris family; there are around 80 or 90 species of crocus.
2. They'll grow pretty much everywhere - meadows, forests and mountain peaks. They're found in Southern Europe, Central Asia, China, Middle East and Africa, but was was first cultivated on the Greek island of Crete.
3. The word “crocus” comes from the Greek word króki, which means weft, the thread used for weaving on a loom. Some people call them the light bulb flower because the buds are shaped a little like light bulbs just before they blossom.
4. They are among the first flowers to appear in the early spring. The leaves and flowers have a waxy cuticle which helps protect them from frost.
5. In flower symbolism, the crocus represents youth, mirthfulness and glee. Although they come in many colours, there isn't a specific meaning attached to the different colours beyond the universal meaning of the colour, eg. white: purity; Yellow: joy.
6. There's an ancient Greek legend about how the crocus flower came about. Mercury (Hermes) and Krókos were playing with a Frisbee like toy, throwing it to each other when tragedy struck and Krókos got hit on the head. The wound killed him, and while he was dying, three drops of Blood dripped into a flower, creating the stamen of the crocus.
7. Some species of crocus bloom in the autumn and among these species is Crocus sativus, the one that produces the expensive spice, Saffron.
8. The Greeks and Egyptians used the scent of the crocus to dispel the smell of alcoholic drinks. The Greeks wove the flowers into a wreath to wear around the head, while the Egyptians would spray the perfume on wine glasses.
9. To the Romans, the scent was associated with love. They liked it so much they would spray it on people as they arrived at banquets. The flowers were associated with Valentine's Day and were said to bloom at midnight on 14 February. One legend speaks of the physician Valentine being imprisoned for praying for his patients. The jailer's daughter was blind, and Valentine sent her a note, together with a crocus. When she opened it, her sight was restored and the first thing she saw was the crocus and the note from Valentine, which, according to the legend, was the first Valentine card.
10. In India people used to believe that if crocus petals were laid on the couple's bed after the wedding ceremony, it would provide the couple with a good, solid and loving relationship. The scent has aphrodisiac properties, which no doubt helped, as well.

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