Purple crocus pop into bloom as we continue our current warm spell — although we're going back down to 19 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday! Here's a patch of 'Whitewell Purple' in the Briarwood section of Queens.
A word about crocus and squirrels — squirrels absolutely love many varieties of crocus. More than once, I've watched one of these furry fellows utterly destroy an entire swath in bloom by peeling off the petals to get at either the anthers (pollen as a protein source?) and/or pistil. They absolutely love Crocus vernus, but for some reason, they do not like Crocus tommasinianus — commonly referred to as 'Tommies' — they leave the many lovely varieties of this early blooming species alone. So if you have squirrels (or chipmunks) and you want to see your crocus in flower for longer than a pesky rodent's lunch break, plant Tommies, not the other species.
Crocus tommasinianus 'Whitewell Purple' in bloom in the Briarwood section of Queens.