My crocus kotschyanus ssp kotschyanus (planted early Sept) started today too. Small world :)

Nice! Does it have the interior striping?

It didn't open fully today...so I wasn't quite sure :)

What a nice surprise at this time of year, and the striping is so delicate.

Mine just came up this weekend and I wish I knew the name but I think the ID is long gone. I kind of gave up on the plant after rabbits kept coming back again and again and never gave it a chance. My chances at a picture might have gone down the tubes after a thunderstorm rolled through this afternoon. An October downpour was not what I was expecting today.

We had a storm tonight as well. They are probably done. :/. I fight the rabbits every spring for each tulip and crocus. They haven't found these yet.

I looked online and I see the veining. I bought two types and wanted to be very sure which went where.

That C. kotschyanus is just so cute. And the fact that it only blooms now for you gives me hope for mine: they are only little white noses here. My favourite is C. speciosus. The flowers are very large and they come up high enough to be seen above their Geranium neighbours. Also lots of veining.

I also have C. ochroleucus. Much smaller, but nice too. I hope it multiplies a bit, so it has more impact.

Aren't these crocuses the best fall surprises?

I'm glad you provided your hand as reference - what a beautiful and large flower! The interior contrast and branching is quite attractive as well.

I think the impact of white in the real world doesn't translate well into pictures, but I know from experience your c. Ochroleucus are shining out.

Here's to autumn blooms and lots of (hopeful) increases!

There is a fall crocus C. pulchellus 'Zephyr'. Very light greyish lilac with a golden throat. You vaguely remembered right ;-).

I am thinking this is probably kotschyanus ssp kotschyanus, which so far is the only one of the three (nudiflorus, serotinus ssp salzmanii) to flower this year (just planted in August). I got 'outed' on speciosus 'Aino'

Beautiful with that golden centre! Too bad about 'Aino'. That one looks very desirable. The other two too. I hope they appear next year, if not now.

I just took this today...my DOF was too small, despite being F18 :( I may try again tomorrow.

Those stamens may be gathered for saffron.

This is not a crocus (obviously), but was quite a surprise to find after planting bulbs only six weeks ago. Darn the weather is screwy lately, I don't blame the bulbs being confused. It was 85 two days ago, tonight it should reach 28 for the first hard freeze. I'm sure it'll be back in the eighties in a week or so.

Beauty! What is it? N. cantabricus? Is this not its normal bloom time?

Well, I've never seen it before February before...and yes, it is cantabricus.

I asked because when I googled it, I found"The white flowers of Narcissus cantabricus are produced in winter, from as early as November through to February or March,..." Looks like it switched from late to early then ;-). What a beauty. Too tender for me, alas...

Out of pure curiosity, what site did you pull that info from, the only one that I found saying that was PBS (pacific bulb society) where they said that in California it often blooms in early fall.

Kew website:

http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/narcissus-cantabricus-white-hoop-petticoat-daffodil

Hmm, interesting..though I have to take English gardening literature with a grain of salt (as regards moisture, hardiness, etc). So this bloom is probably within rights as to the species in situ.

Right. Interesting. I hear you on the grain of salt. Had to learn that the hard way after moving from Holland to Ontario ;-).