Daffodils and narcissus are poisonous. Do have to keep slugs off the flowers.

hellebores are all blooming now. Also viburnum Pink Dawn and Forsythia and primroses.

There's something called Winter Aconite that has bright yellow buttercupy flowers on low plants that bloom at crocus time - you can often find them in catalogs that sell bulbs, or just google em.

Also Galanthus - a couple different species of snowdrops, also low and early, can grow where crocus grows

For shrubs look to Sarcoccoca rusticifolia and S. h... can't remember. They bloom in Feb-March around here and have a sweet wafting fragrance. Nice dark evergreen leaves. The species beginning with h... is short, about 3 feet max. Rusticifolia gets bigger, but slowly.

Primroses, of course, though the rain and slugs can do a number on em

It's a bit later than crocus time but my Trillium are starting to bloom.

Thanks all for the suggestions. Will check them out, for sure.
My Pink Dawn has finished blooming, the daffs are just starting as well as the primroses, the Trillium are just beginning to show spears.

Although seen fairly often on nursery tags 'Pink Dawn' is a mistake for 'Dawn'.

It might be considered a weed by some, but the violet that self seeds easily and has a nice smell blooms at the same time as the crocus and the colors compliment. I have both under deciduous trees where nothing else grows. The native red flowering currant comes near the end of the crocus season. The small iris reticulata also bloom about the same time as crocus. I have forced them together in pots.

My forget-me-nots are already starting to bloom. I got white and pink ones last year too. They look really nice all mixed together with the blue.

There are lots of winter heaths that bloom early.

And a big shrub that I've never seen but just read about = Chimonathes praecox (var. luteus is bright yellow)

common name is Wintersweet, big - 10 ft tall by 8 ft wide, heavenly wafting fragrance, so I read.

Anybody know where to get it near Seattle/Tacoma?

thanks.