Wikimedia Commons
Tecophilaeaceae
Chilean Crocus
Tecophilaea cyanocrocus
Rare treasure.
- Family
- Tecophilaeaceae
- Genus
- Tecophilaea
- Native to
- Chile
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- bulb
- Height
- 0.3-0.5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- gritty, well-drained soil
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 7-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Chilean crocus was thought to be extinct in the wild from the 1950s until small populations were rediscovered in 2001.
- It is considered one of the most intensely blue flowers in the plant kingdom, rivaling even gentians.
- Single bulbs have sold for over $50 each due to extreme rarity and slow propagation rates.
- The genus is named after Tecophila Billotti, daughter of the Italian botanist Luigi Colla, making it a botanical tribute.
- In its native Chilean Andes, it grows at elevations above 9,000 feet in rocky, seasonally dry grasslands.
Color meanings
0
preciousness
1
hope restored