Ivydene Gardens Bulb, Corm, Rhizome and Tuber Gallery: |
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Bulb, Corm, Rhizome or Tuber Name -
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Flower Colour with |
Flowering Form Thumbnail Mat, |
Height x Width in inches (cms) - Seed Head Thumbnail Soil Sun Aspect Soil Moisture |
Foliage Colour with Foliage Thumbnail |
Bulb Use |
Comments |
"Dwarf Campanulas" by Graham Nicholls - from The Alpine Garden Society Bookshop. Corydalis - "Bleeding Hearts, Corydalis, and their Relatives" by Mark C Tebbitt, Magnus Liden & Henrick Zetterlund - from the Alpine Garden Society Bookshop. See Rock Garden Plant Index C for details on more campanulas, corydalis and cyclamen and See Gardenia with their pages on plant combinations of Campanulas (Bellflowers) with other plants. |
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Campanula |
Violet-Purple
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Clump. |
30 x 36 Chalk, |
Light Green |
Houseplant, Woodland, Patio Pot. Grow in meadow on chalk soil. |
This plant must be planted separate from other plants. |
Campanula |
White to
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36 x 12 Alkaline Clay, Chalk. |
Narrow, toothed, leathery, Bright Green
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Open light woodland. Pollinated by bees and self. |
Use as mound in middle of border. Mix with other plants in large pots. |
Centaurea montana |
Blue
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Erect, Clump |
18 x 24 Chalk |
Mid-Green, woolly beneath and densely woolly stems
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Best massed in border fronts, cottage gardens or naturalized areas. Nectar attracts butterflies. Cut flower. Coastal conditions. |
Native UK plant - from Kevock Garden. It prepares to flower while deciduous plants are bare. Grows in meadows and open woodland. |
Cerato-stigma |
Brilliant Blue
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August, September, |
18 x 8 Chalk, Sand, Clay |
Bright Green in Spring and Summer. Rich Red in Autumn. |
Ground cover, Edging, Rock Garden. Compact, bushy habit in patio pots and border. Attracts butterflies. |
Interplant with spring bulbs. Under-planting for shrubs. Deer, rabbit resistant. Establish in dry walling. |
COLCHICUM • 1. Autumn-flowering species and hybrids • 2. Winter- and Spring-flowering species and • 3. Tessellated species, those marked with a crisscross pattern on the petals in colors of dark and light rosy mauve and the relevant division is added to the Plant Description Page Title. All Crocus and Cyclamen have Stemless Form. |
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Autumn-flowering Colchicums |
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Lavender-Pink
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4-6 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and August-October for the foliage and flowers. |
When planting, take care that the bulbs are set in an area where their foliage will not cover other plants; like along shrub borders to bring colour at unusual times of the year. |
A good, sturdy variety that is consistently reliable. Naked Boys (common name possibly because colour is pale pink), Meadow saffron. |
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Double White
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August, September
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4-6 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and August-October for the foliage and flowers. |
Like all doubles, it is too fragile to withstand heavy rain. Flowers are produced in the autumn followed by fleshy winter foliage emerging from a rosette, that dies down in early summer before its dry dormancy. |
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Single White
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August, September
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4-6 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and August-October for the foliage and flowers. |
Blooms produced before the foliage. |
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Rose-Lilac
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September |
6-8 x 10 |
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This bulb is "like the crocuses, the flowers come naked, but the leaves shoot up in the spring...and when they start to ripen and die off in late spring, they turn various nasty shades of yellow and appear to be in agony. This does not bother me, since my thyme and rue more or less ameliorate, or at least obscure, these goings on, but plant colchicums where the ripening foliage does not bother you.... Where the colchicum leaves die down, the earth retains a sort of funnel shape - a hole where the sheaf of leaves used to be. It struck me that water might collect in such a place, but no, these hollow channels are said to make it easy for the flowers to emerge in September, so perhaps we should not worry." |
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Pink-Mauve
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6-8 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
Pink-Mauve flowers in September-October before the leaves are produced |
Nancy Lindsay had a small nursery near Hidcote Manor after World War II. Award of Garden Merit from RHS in 1997. |
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Lilac-Pink |
4-6 x 10 |
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Looks quite exotic but is actually easy to grow and very reliable. |
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Wine-Purple with
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4-6 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
Plant the bulbs in late summer, early autumn, approx. 10cm (4”) deep. Unless it says otherwise they all like deep, fertile soil in full sun that never dries out completely but is not too wet either. Flowers are then produced in the autumn and winter from naked ground followed by fleshy winter foliage emerging from a rosette, that dies down in early summer before its dry dormancy. |
Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and August-October for the foliage and flowers. |
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Pinkish-Purple with
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2 x 10 |
Trio of Green leaves rises with or slightly after the flowers, about 2 inches long at first, stretching to 12 inches (30 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide as time goes on. |
Autumn Crocus is ideal for pot culture and if unprotected, its leaves are likely to be damaged by frost. |
Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and August-November for the foliage and flowers. |
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Pinkish-Lilac with
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September, October, November, December
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8 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
Plant 5 inches (13 cms) deep in average well-drained, moisture-retentive soil - 6 inches (15 cms) deep in sandy soil - and 4 inches (10 cms) apart in July; in areas of full sun. |
Pinkish-Lilac with Yellow anthers in September-December before the leaves are produced. A very easy colchicum to grow in a sunny, well-drained position. |
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Pale Lilac or Bright Mauve with White Centre
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5 x 16 |
5-6 Dark Green leaves over 12 inches (30 cms) long and up to 4 inches wide are produced in the Winter. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots, September for the flowers and December-January for the foliage. |
When planting, take care that the bulbs are set in an area where their foliage will not cover other plants; like along shrub borders to bring colour at unusual times of the year. |
A hugely popular species. Bears up to 20 pale lilac flowers, beginning funnel shaped and becoming more open with age. The petals are up to 5cm (2”) long. A very reliable early flowering variety. |
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Purplish-Pink
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4 x 16 |
5-6 Dark Green leaves over 12 inches (30 cms) long and up to 4 inches wide are produced after the flowers have passed. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and September-October for the flowers and foliage. |
This bulb produces up to 20 purplish-pink flowers, the petals being quite small and rounded. The flowers open to form wide funnels. An easy one to grow and well worth trying. |
Purplish-Pink in September before the leaves. |
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Red-Purple
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September
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4 x 16 |
5-6 Dark Green leaves over 12 inches (30 cms) long and up to 4 inches wide are produced after the flowers have passed. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and September-October for the flowers and foliage. |
This bulb has a long succession of rich red-purple flowers and just as easy to grow as Colchicum cilicium. |
Red-Purple in September before the leaves. |
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Rosy-Lilac with Purplish-Black anthers |
September, October, November, December
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3 x 16 |
2 Dark Green leaves over 3 inches (7.5 cms) long and up to 0.5 inch wide are produced at the same time as the flowers.
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Rosy-Lilac with Purplish-Black Anthers in September-December with the leaves. |
Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and September-January for the flowers and foliage. |
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Violet-Pink with |
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6-8 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
This superb mid-season hybrid has distinctive rose-pink rounded flowers with a white eye. |
Violet-Pink with a White-star Centre in September before the leaves are produced. |
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Magenta chequered with White Centre
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6-8 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
Plant 5 inches (13 cms) deep in average well-drained, moisture-retentive soil - 6 inches (15 cms) deep in sandy soil - and 4 inches (10 cms) apart in July. |
Magenta chequered with a White Centre in September before the leaves are produced. |
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Soft Purple
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October, November
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10-12 x 10 (25-30 x 25) |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
Flowers before the leaves are produced. Robust and easy to grow, this will naturalise well. |
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Light Violet-Purple with
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October, November
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10-12 x 10 (25-30 x 25) |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Winter. |
Light Violet-Purple with White base flowers in October-November before the leaves are produced. |
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Rose-Pink and
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August
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10-12 x 10 (25-30 x 25) |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
This bulb is flowering in August before the leaves are produced. This is a wonderful species with light pink petals which are quite long and separated, giving a star-like effect. Best grown in a pot or raised alpine bed. |
Can be planted with Leucojum autumnale and Crocus vallicola for an autumn display before autumn starts! |
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Creamy-White with
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10-12 x 10 (25-30 x 25) |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
A very distinctive hybrid, producing in September intricate twisting creamy white flowers with irregular purple blotches, before the leaves are produced. |
Unlike any other colchicum in terms of form and colour, this is very unusual and beautiful. |
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Royal Purple with
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September, October
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10-12 x 10 (25-30 x 25) |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
It flowers before the leaves are produced. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and September-November for the foliage and flowers. |
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Rose-Lilac
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September
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2-3 x 10 |
Green leaves are produced in the Autumn. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and September-October for the foliage and flowers. |
Its flowers are produced before the leaves. Free-flowering and easy to grow in sun or partial shade. |
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Light Violet-Purple with |
September
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8 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and September-October for the foliage and flowers. |
Light Violet-Purple with darker veins and a White Throat flowers in September before the leaves are produced. |
Very reliable and will mulitply. |
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Deep Lilac-Pink
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6 x 10 |
5-10 Green leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and September-October for the foliage and flowers. |
A prolific flowering variety with very pretty deep lilac-pink flowers. Easy to grow and makes a superb show. |
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Yellow
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September
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3-4 x 10 |
Green leaves appear with the flowers but continue to grow as long as 10-12 inches even after the flowers have faded.
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Plant 5 inches (13 cms) deep in average well-drained, moisture-retentive soil - 6 inches (15 cms) deep in sandy soil - and 4 inches (10 cms) apart in July. When planting, take care that the bulbs are set in an area where their foliage will not cover other plants; like along shrub borders to bring colour at unusual times of the year. |
This bulb is an extremely scarce species - this is the only known colchicum with yellow flowers. Blooms are small, but of a rich golden yellow. |
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Pink-Lilac
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September
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2 x 7 |
11 slim Green leaves are produced in September when the flowers are at their zenith. They continue to grow through the winter to reach 6 inches long by late spring. |
Pink-Lilac flowers in September before the leaves are produced. |
Some bulbs have the trick of forming their new bulbs deeper and deeper year after year. This article (it is a fair way down the blog) on 'Droppers' explains this with photos. |
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Violet-Mauve
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September
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8-10 x 10 |
Flowers are then produced in the autumn from naked ground followed by fleshy autumn green foliage emerging from a rosette, that dies down in early summer before its dry dormancy. |
This bulb is a robust selection which has one of the darkest flowers of the genus - strong violet-mauve petals emerging from a purple perianth. A reliable choice for the border. |
Poseidon is the Greek God of the sea. |
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Pinkish-Violet with
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September
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6 x 10 |
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The flowers are fragrant and produced before the leaves. A lovely variety that is well worth growing if you are looking for something that bit special. |
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Pale to Deep Pink with White Throat
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September, October
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7 x 10 |
Green leaves are produced in the Spring. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and foliage, and September-October for the flowers. |
Pale to Deep Pink with White Throat flowers in September-October before the leaves are produced in the spring. Left in situ these plants form large clumps; 1 bulb covering 1 square foot in 2 seasons and doubling in size with the passage of a couple of good seasons. |
A lovely species with up to 3 pale to deep pink flowers, often with white throats. They have distinct yellow anthers. This is not as bold as some varieties but more subtle and as such just as worthwhile. |
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White
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October
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4 x 10 |
Green leaves are produced in the Spring. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and foliage, and October for the flowers. |
Pure white flowers, and these are quite thick in texture, making them particularly weather resistant. They take some time to establish but are well worth the wait as they produce a superb display. |
Colchicum - plant the bulbs in late summer, early autumn, approx. 10cm (4”) deep. Unless it says otherwise they all like deep, fertile soil in full sun that never dries out completely but is not too wet either. Flowers are then produced in the autumn and winter from naked ground followed by fleshy winter foliage emerging from a rosette, that dies down in early summer before its dry dormancy. |
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Pale to Dark Pink with White throat
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4 x 10 |
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Green quite narrow leaves are produced in the Spring. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and foliage, and October for the flowers. |
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Amethyst-Violet with
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September |
8 x 10 |
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This bulb is the hardiest Colchicum speciosum cultivar, named after the Turkish district whence it came. Bright flowers appear in early September, followed by shiny foliage in spring. Recommended. |
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Light to Dark Purple
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September |
8 x 10 |
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Blooms which vary in colour from light to dark purple. Requires a moist soil in spring but a dry dormancy in the summer. Plant 5 inches (13 cms) deep in average well-drained, moisture-retentive soil - 6 inches (15 cms) deep in sandy soil - and 4 inches (10 cms) apart in July. When planting, take care that the bulbs are set in an area where their foliage will not cover other plants; like along shrub borders to bring colour at unusual times of the year. |
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Purplish-Violet with
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September |
8 x 10 |
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A robust, large flowered variety with up to 5 unusual flowers. Each flower has a white base to it. It is quite tall growing, getting to 20cm (8”) in height. |
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Bluish-Lilac with
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September
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Green leaves are produced in the Spring. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and foliage, and September for the flowers. |
Plant at the edges of paths, drives and small beds towards the front of borders. Plant under turf on sandy or chalk soil. |
Bluish-Lilac with White throat in September before the leaves are produced in the spring. |
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Pinkish-Lilac
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September, October |
5 x 10 |
Green leaves are produced in the Spring. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and foliage, and September for the flowers. |
Bears up to 5 double, pinkish-lilac flowers before the leaves are produced in the spring. The name really does this plant justice as that is exactly what the flowers look like. Due to the size and weight of the flowers they are best grown among other plants where they will get some support. Definitely one to try. |
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Soft Lilac with
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September |
5 x 10 |
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Soft Lilac with star-shaped Greenish-White Centre in September before the leaves are produced in the spring |
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Tessellated-flowering Colchicums |
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Pale Lilac with Lilac-Purple tessell-ation
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5-8 x 6 |
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Plant in July 5 inches (13 cms) deep in average well-drained, moisture-retentive soil - 6 inches (15 cms) deep in sandy soil - and 4 inches (10 cms) apart. When planting, take care that the bulbs are set in an area where their foliage will not cover other plants; like along shrub borders to bring colour at unusual times of the year. |
Narrow Green foliage is produced in the Spring. Continue watering as long as foliage remains green, withold water when foliage starts to die back, usually in July. Sometimes the foliage will be produced following the flowers and will remain growing until July. |
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Pink with White Throat and Purple tessell-ation |
6 x 10 |
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Colchicum - photos taken by Arnold Trachtenberg - are grown in his New Jersey garden, planted in garden soil augmented with 50% grit. |
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Lilac with White Centre
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8 x 15 |
5-10 Green grasslike leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and October-December for the foliage and flowers. |
Scented, Lilac with a White Centre and tessellated with Purplish-Violet in October-November before the leaves are produced. Flowers 7-9 inches high. |
Colchicum bivonae is a parent of many of the large-flowered Colchicum hybrids, often in crosses with Colchicum speciosum. It contributes the tessellation (check-ering) to these hybrids. |
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Purplish-Violet
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October, November
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7 x 15 |
5-10 Green grasslike leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
It is a strong growing variety. Flowers 7-9 inches high. |
Heemstede is a town around which, for a long time, many of the best growers in the Netherlands congregated. The flowers are fragrant, quite strongly tessellated and are produced before the leaves. |
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Light Violet with
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8 x 15 |
5-10 Green grasslike leaves about 10 inches (25 cms) long and 1 inch (2.5 cms) wide are produced in the Autumn. |
Highly scented. Flowers 7-9 inches high. |
Light Violet and tessellated with Purplish-Violet in October-November before the leaves are produced. |
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Pale Lilac with White
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2-3 x 15 |
Green grasslike leaves are produced in the Winter. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and September-December for the foliage and flowers. |
A very early-flowering species, with large pale lilac flowers heavily tessellated with white are produced before the leaves. Native to Crete and parts of Greece, so needs a very warm and well-drained position, or else grow in pots. |
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Purple-Pink with
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5 x 15 |
Short broad pair of Green leaves 6 inches long are produced after the flowers have finished in September. |
Deep Purple-Pink and tessellated with White blooms are produced in September before the leaves. |
Native to Mani, Greece. Plant 5 inches (13 cms) deep in average well-drained, moisture-retentive soil - 6 inches (15 cms) deep in sandy soil - and 8 inches (20 cms) apart in July. |
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Rosy-Lilac with
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September, October,
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10 x 15 |
Grasslike Green leaves up to 10 inches (25 cms) long are produced after the flowers have finished in November. |
Rosy-Lilac and tessellated with darker Purplish-Violet blooms are produced in September-November before the leaves. Flowers are 7-9 inches high. |
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Winter-flowering Colchicums |
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White
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January, February |
3-4 x 8 |
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Plant 5 inches (13 cms) deep in average well-drained, moisture-retentive soil - 6 inches (15 cms) deep in sandy soil - and 8 inches (20 cms) apart in July. When planting, take care that the bulbs are set in an area where their foliage will not cover other plants; like along shrub borders to bring colour at unusual times of the year. |
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White with Purple/Brown Striping
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3-4 x 8 |
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Plant 5 inches (13 cms) deep in average well-drained, moisture-retentive soil - 6 inches (15 cms) deep in sandy soil - and 8 inches (20 cms) apart in July. When planting, take care that the bulbs are set in an area where their foliage will not cover other plants; like along shrub borders to bring colour at unusual times of the year. |
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White with Dark
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January, February |
8 x 8 |
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2 Dark Green leaves become 6 inches long and up to 0.5 inches wide at maturity and they are produced at the same time as the flowers. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and January-March for the flowers and foliage. |
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White with
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January, February |
2-3 x 8 |
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This bulb requires a moist soil in spring but a dry dormancy in the summer. Dark Green leaves are produced after the flowers have reached their zenith. Moisture required in the Spring for the roots and January-March for the flowers and foliage. |
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White
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January, February |
2-3 x 8 |
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Dark Green leaves are produced after the flowers have started blooming. This bulb requires a moist soil in spring but a dry dormancy in the summer. |
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Winter- and Spring-Flowering Colchicums |
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White with Pale Lilac central Stripes
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3-4 x 8 |
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2 Dark Green leaves become 6 inches long and up to 0.5 inches wide at maturity and they are produced at the same time as the flowers. Moisture required December-April for the flowers and foliage. |
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White
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9 x 12 |
Dark Green |
Creeping form. Groundcover under deciduous shrubs. Mulch with leaf mould in autumn. |
The Convallaria majalis is a native UK plant called Lily of the Valley. |
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Corydalis lutea |
Golden Yellow
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May, June, July, August, September
Cushion. |
16 x 12 Well-drained Chalk, Sand, Gravel |
Finely cut, delicate-looking light-green to blue-green foliage
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Shaded Rock Gardens, Edging. Cottage Garden. Naturalizes. Gravel gardens and in cracks within stone walls and dry walling, woodland |
Commonly cultivated and naturalized on old walls near gardens scattered throughout the UK. It is toxic to horses. |
Orange
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24 x 9 |
Pale Green |
Crocosmias are superb at providing that late colour in the garden during August and September. Fully hardy and easy to grow. Just plant 8-10cm (3-4 inches) deep in well drained, fertile soil in full sun. In colder gardens plant in a more sheltered spot such as the base of a wall. Lift and divide only when they become congested. |
Clump-forming form. Native UK plant called Montbretia |
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For herbaceous beds and shrubberies, the stronger-growing kinds of crocuses can be planted in large clumps and drifts. Soil should be removed to the depth of 6 inches and the corms laid on the bottom of the hole at the space of an inch from each other. It is customary to plant Crocuses as edgings to borders in rather formal lines or circles, but a charming effect is produced by planting some hundreds of one kind under deciduous shrubs, or at the back of borders between clumps of strong-growing herbaceous plants that do not cover the ground with their leaves earlier than the middle of May, and thus allowing time for the Crocus leaves to mature in an open space. The Dutch Yellow, in my opinion, never looks better than when planted in a generously planned drift, towards the back of a large border, or round the stem of a leafless Rhodendron molle, Deutzia, etc. All the florist's forms of Crocus vernus are suitable for this work, and Crocus tomasinianus once planted should be allowed to spread naturally by seed as far as it will under groups of roses or other summer-leafing shrubs. Crocus speciosus is the best of all the autumn-flowering Crocuses for wide plantings, and does not object to an occasional digging over of the bed and the consequent deep burial of the corms. Only the stronger growers should be tried in grass and none succeeds better than the forms of Crocus vernus and the Dutch Yellow. I have always advised that they should be kept separate, or at any rate the yellow planted only among white varieties; but a charming planting of irregular colonies, each of one kind, under some trees in a friend's garden taught me that if the yellow are planted in separate groups; instead of being scattered among the purples; they can be very effective. The quality of grass differs so greatly that my rather poor success with the many species I have tried in a rough meadow need not discourage others with a finer brand of turf. I used to give bundles of rogues and mixed seedlings to Mr. Wilks to plant in his wild garden at Shirley, and in his grass they flourished and spread most delightfully. The soil there is a fine sand, and he used to say of it that it was so light that if he threw it up in the air it would never come down again, and naturally the grass on it is scanty and fine. Where the turf is not coarse, and the ground well drained and open to sunshine, I advise planting Crocus tomasinianus, Crocus aureus, Crocus chrysanthus, Crocus sieberi, Crocus versicolor as well as Crocus vernus for spring, and Crocus kotschyanus, Crocus speciosus, Crocus nudiflorus and Crocus longiflorus for autumn."
How to tell a Colchicum from a true Crocus?
The following diagram shows the parts of the Crocus and Colchicum. The following year the corm uses the hole left when the Perianth Tube dies off to push up a new tube with its flowers and leaves. It is therefore better if you do not disturb the ground once you have planted these corms.
This diagram from A Handbook of Crocus and Colchicum for Gardeners by E. A. Bowles Ma.A., F.L.S., F.r.E.S., V.M.H. published by The Garden Book Club, 121 Charing Cross Road, London WC2. in 1955. It has the following excerpt on Colchicums:- "The greater number of the handsome members of the genus Colchicum are easily grown, and the chief trouble in a garden arises from the amount of space required in spring and early summer for their coarse leaves. In autumn the rosy lilac, white or tessellated flowers can never be too numerous, come where they may; but in spring it is almost annoying to watch the unfolding of those great leaves. They expand enormously with the April showers, rise up rapidly on tall shoots and are then ready to fall outwards and sprawl over neater-growing plants; that we realise too late have been planted too near the Colchicums. They would make a good edging to beds of shrubs or tall herbaceous plants but for their aggravating habit of beginning to fade and collapse in the first warm days of June.... The dormant period of a Colchicum is short. The leaves fade after the ripening of the seed in June, and the corm matures soon after. Those that flower in autumn are ready in August to form new roots and push out flowers. Some species can flower satisfactorily at their natural season without being planted or supplied with any moisture. I have seen a gay show of flowering Colchicums in cottage windows in Cornwall provided by corms laid in a row on the ledge of the bay window. It is very unusual that a plant brings flowers to perfection while without active roots to supply moisture to the expanding cells. Colchicum byzantinum can bear 12-20 flowers in a long succession and without active roots. Gathered flowers of many species will last fresh for several days without being placed in water. The leaves differ greatly in form and size among the species and also as to the time of their appearance. In most autumn-flowering species such as Colchicum autumnale, Colchicum speciosum, Colchicum byzantinum and Colchicum agrippinum they do not appear before the following spring and are large and broad; in most of the winter or early spring flowering species they are narrowly linear and accompany the flowers. Colchicum kesselringii and Colchicum szovitzii have the narrowest and Colchicum byzantinum and Colchicum macrophyllum have the longest, a foot long and 6 or more inches in width. In most species they are glabrous (glabrous is without hairs), in others pubescent (pubescent is shortly and softly hairy) or ciliated (ciliate is with regularly arranged hairs projecting from the margin) on the margins. As the leaves mature in the end of May the large seed capsules are revealed in the cup formed by the bases of the 2 or 3 innermost leaves. The seed vessel is formed of 3 distinct carpels, free in their upper half but generally united below. When ripe they open at the summit and the round, thick-coated seeds escape. From the observations of Professor Rolf Nordhagen,..... it seems probable that the seeds of Colchicum are distributed by ants. He found that those of Colchicum autumnale and Colchicum speciosum are covered when ripe with a sugary layer which is attractive to ants, and he watched ants remove 23 seeds from a capsule of Colchicum speciosum in 12 minutes. Apparently ants consume the edible outer coat, but are deterred by the presence of colchicine from damaging the embryo and cotyledon. The large-flowered species that blossom early in autumn are easily grown, and so are a few of the spring-flowering forms. Those that blossom in mid-winter, like Colchicum variegatum, are not easily kept in health, and some beautiful spring-flowering kinds are difficult to keep alive in the open. Colchicum speciosum and its varieties are among the handsomest of bulbous plants and should be in every garden where room can be spared for the leaves in spring. A rich, deep and rather moist soil suits most of the species best, but they will thrive in well-drained slopes of the rock garden also. Colchicum autumnale, Colchicum byzantinum, Colchicum agrippinum, Colchicum laetum and Colchicum speciosum will grow in grass, but in view of their poisonous nature it is not wise to plant them where cattle graze, and the seed-pods and leaves should be gathered out if the grass is to be used for hay. However, after making many enquiries I have been unable to learn of a definite case of cattle poisoning by Colchicum, and it seems probable that beasts avoid eating it just as they shun buttercups. When planted in grass increase is slow, and as with Crocuses, if it is desired to obtain a stock, the roots should be planted in well-tilled ground and divided every second year. In a wild state, the corms of most of the species are found at a great depth, but in garden ground they do best with the cap of the tunic reaching the surface." |
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Ivydene Gardens Bulb, Corm, Rhizome and Tuber Gallery: The Header Row below is the same as the Header Row for the 1000 Ground Cover A, of Plants Topic. The same process as above will occur for each relevant plant within each of these galleries:-
Its index entry will be transferred and flower or foliage thumbnail will be compared per month in its relevant gallery:-
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Plant Name Major source of honey in the UK Yes/No |
Type The key ingredients a bird needs from your garden are |
Height x Spread in inches (cms) Spacing distance between plants of same species in inches (cms) |
Foliage Some poisonous deciduous trees are indicated, but there are others in Cultivated Poisonous Plants and |
Flower Colour in Month(s). Use Pest Control using Plants to provide a Companion Plant to aid your selected bulb or deter its pests |
Comments and Use United States Department of Agriculture Pruning of |
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Starting in February 2023 all the bulbs compared in this gallery of BULB PLANT GALLERY are being copied to the PERENNIAL - EVERGREEN GALLERY comparison pages with Bulb and their use added to the text box below the thumbnail. The PERENNIAL - EVERGREEN GALLERY will eventually compare every plant in this website in its respective colour and month(s) - it has the same heights as in the BULB PLANT GALLERY with this addition Black = |
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PERENNIAL - EVERGREEN GALLERY PAGES FOLIAGE COLOUR FRUIT COLOUR FLOWER BED PICTURES |
EVERGREEN PERENNIAL GALLERY PAGES Site Map of pages with content (o) Introduction |
PLANT USE AND FLOWER SHAPE GALLERY |
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Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
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then in February 2023, I am continuing to insert all the 1000 Groundcover Plants as indicated by followed by continuing to insert all the plants with flowers from Camera Photo Galleries as indicated by Next, I will continue to insert all the plants planted in chalk as indicated by then the following plants shall be added from
finally the above plants shall be compared in the Wildflower Shape Gallery - |
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Evergreen Perennials Height from Text Border in this Gallery |
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Brown = |
Blue = |
Green = |
Red = |
Black = |
Evergreen Perennials Soil Moisture from Text Background in this Gallery |
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Wet Soil |
Moist Soil |
Dry Soil |
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The Plant Height Border in this Gallery has changed from :-
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Flowering months range abreviates month to its first 3 letters (Apr-Jun is April, May and June). |
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UKButterflies Larval Foodplants website page lists the larval foodplants used by British butterflies. The name of each foodplant links to a Google search. An indication of whether the foodplant is a primary or secondary food source is also given. Please note that the Butterfly you see for only a short time has grown up on plants as an egg, caterpillar and chrysalis for up to 11 months, before becoming a butterfly. If the plants that they live on during that time are removed, or sprayed with herbicide, then you will not see the butterfly. |
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Plants used by the Butterflies follow the Plants used by the Egg, Caterpillar and Chrysalis as stated in |
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Plant Name |
Butterfly Name |
Egg/ Caterpillar/ Chrysalis/ Butterfly |
Plant Usage |
Plant Usage Months |
Egg, |
1 egg under leaf. |
10 days in May-June |
||
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant. |
Hatches after 18-22 days in April. |
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Egg, |
Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf. |
- |
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Egg, |
1 egg at base of plant. |
Late August-April |
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Egg, |
Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf. |
- |
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Egg, |
1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts. |
7 days in June. |
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Egg, |
1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts. |
7 days in June. |
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Egg, |
1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower. |
7 days in August. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk. |
7 days. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk. |
7 days. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg under leaf. |
10 days in May-June. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
2 weeks |
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Cabbages - Large White eats all cruciferous plants, such as cabbages, mustard, turnips, radishes, cresses, nasturtiums, wild mignonette and dyer's weed |
Egg,
|
40-100 eggs on both surfaces of leaf. |
May-June and August-Early September. 4.5-17 days. |
|
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of leaf. |
May-June and August. 7 days. |
||
Cabbages:- |
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of leaf. |
July or August; hatches in 3 days. |
|
Cabbages:- |
Egg, |
1 egg laid in the tight buds and flowers. |
May-June 7 days. |
|
Cherry with |
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant. |
Hatches after 18-22 days in April. |
|
Egg, |
Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf. |
- |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
10 days in May-June. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
6 days in May-June. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg under leaf. |
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|
(Common CowWheat, Field CowWheat) |
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 16 days in June. |
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Currants |
Egg, |
Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf. |
|
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Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 20 days in July. |
||
Dog Violet with |
Egg, |
1 egg on oak or pine tree trunk |
15 days in July. |
|
Dog Violet with |
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf or stem. |
Hatches after 15 days in May-June. |
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Dog Violet with |
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf or stem. |
Hatches after 10 days in May-June. |
|
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk. |
7 days. |
||
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant. |
Hatches after 18-22 days in April. |
||
False Brome is a grass (Wood Brome, Wood False-brome and Slender False-brome) |
Egg, |
1 egg under leaf. |
... |
|
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 20 days in July. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts. |
7 days in June. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf or stem. |
Hatches after 10 days in May-June. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk. |
7 days. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower. |
7 days in August. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. 5 or 6 eggs may be deposited by separate females on one leaf. |
14 days in July-August. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk. |
7 days. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg laid in the tight buds and flowers. |
May-June 7 days. |
||
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 20 days in July. |
||
Egg, |
Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf. |
|
||
Egg, |
1 egg under leaf. |
1 then |
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Egg, |
1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk. |
7 days. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg at base of plant. |
Late August-April. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
10 days in May-June. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
2 weeks |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
6 days in May-June. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of leaf. |
May-June and August. 7 days. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. 5 or 6 eggs may be deposited by separate females on one leaf. |
14 days in July-August. |
||
Narrow-leaved Plantain (Ribwort Plantain) |
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 16 days in June. |
|
Narrow-leaved Plantain (Ribwort Plantain) |
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 16 days in June. |
|
Nasturtium from Gardens |
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of leaf. |
May-June and August. 7 days. |
|
Egg, |
1 egg on tree trunk |
15 days in July. |
||
Mountain pansy, |
Egg, Chrysalis |
1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower. |
7 days in August. 3 weeks in September |
|
Egg, |
1 egg on tree trunk. |
15 days in July. |
||
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 20 days in July. |
||
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant. |
Hatches after 18-22 days in April. |
||
Egg, |
Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf. |
- |
||
Egg, |
1 egg under leaf. |
|
||
Egg, |
1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower. |
7 days in August. |
||
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant. |
Hatches after 18-22 days in April. |
||
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 16 days in June. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk. |
7 days. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk. |
7 days. |
||
Egg, |
Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf. |
|
||
Egg, |
1 egg under leaf. |
|
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
2 weeks |
||
Trefoils 1, 2, 3 |
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
6 days in May-June. |
|
Egg, |
Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf. |
- |
||
Egg, |
1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts. |
7 days in June. |
||
Violets:- |
Egg, |
1 egg on underside of leaf or on stalk. |
July-August for 17 days. |
|
Violets:- |
Egg, |
1 egg on stem or stalk near plant base. |
July to hatch in 8 months in March. |
|
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. |
2 weeks. |
||
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant. |
Hatches after 18-22 days in April. |
||
Egg, |
1 egg on leaf. 5 or 6 eggs may be deposited by separate females on one leaf. |
14 days in July-August. |
||
Willow |
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant. |
Hatches after 18-22 days in April. |
|
Egg, |
Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves. |
Hatches after 20 days in July. |
||
Plants used by the Butterflies |
||||
Plant Name |
Butterfly Name |
Egg/ Caterpillar/ Chrysalis/ Butterfly |
Plant Usage |
Plant Usage Months |
Asters |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
|
|
Runner and Broad Beans in fields and gardens |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
April-June or July-September. |
|
Aubretia in gardens |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November |
|
Butterfly |
Eats sap exuding from trunk. |
April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
20 days. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
May-June |
||
Holly Blue |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation. |
|
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
July-October. |
||
Buddleias |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
July-October. |
|
Wood White |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
May-June. |
|
Cabbage and cabbages in fields |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
April-June or July-September. |
|
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
July-October |
||
Adonis Blue |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September |
|
Pale Clouded Yellow |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November |
|
Cow-wheat |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
June-July |
|
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
May-June |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
3 weeks between May and September |
||
Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys - Birdseye Speedwell) |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
June-July |
|
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
July-October. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
30 days in May-June. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
May-September |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
May-June for 18 days. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
July-October |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
1 Month. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
July-October. |
||
Painted Lady |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
July-October. |
|
Marigolds in gardens |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November |
|
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September. |
||
Michaelmas Daisies |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
July-October |
|
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
April-June or July-September. |
||
Narrow-leaved Plantain (Ribwort Plantain) |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
June-July |
|
Nasturtiums in gardens |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
April-June or July-September |
|
Butterfly |
Eats sap exuding from trunk. |
April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
June. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
May-June. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
July-October. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
July-May |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
7 weeks in July-August. |
||
Comma |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
July-October. |
|
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
3 weeks between May and September |
||
Trefoils 1, 2, 3 |
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September |
|
Butterfly |
Eats nectar. |
20 days in August. |
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
June.
|
||
Butterfly |
Eats nectar |
June-July |
||
Apple/Pear/Cherry/Plum Fruit Tree Blossom in Spring |
Butterfly |
Eats Nectar |
April-May |
|
Rotten Fruit |
Butterfly |
Drinks juice |
July-September |
|
Tree sap and damaged ripe fruit, which are high in sugar |
Butterfly |
Hibernates inside hollow trees or outhouses until March. Eats sap or fruit juice until April. |
10 months in June-April |
|
Wild Flowers |
Large Skipper |
Butterfly |
Eats Nectar |
June-August |
Links to the other Butterflies:- Black Hairstreak |
Topic - Wildlife on Plant Photo Gallery. Some UK native butterflies eat material from UK Native Wildflowers and live on them as eggs, caterpillars (Large Skipper eats False Brome grass - Brachypodium sylvaticum - for 11 months from July to May as a Caterpillar before becoming a Chrysalis within 3 weeks in May) chrysalis or butterflies ALL YEAR ROUND. |
Wild Flower Family Page (the families within "The Pocket Guide to Wild Flowers" by David McClintock & R.S.R. Fitter, Published in 1956 They are not in Common Name alphabetical order and neither are the common names of the plants detailed within each family. The information in the above book is back-referenced to the respective page in "Flora of the British Isles" by A.R. Clapham of University of Sheffield, |
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When you look at the life history graphs of each of the 68 butterflies of Britain, you will see that they use plants throughout all 12 months - the information of what plant is used by the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis or butterfly is also given in the above first column.
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A FLAILED CORNISH HEDGE - This details that life and death from July 1972 to 2019, with the following result:- End note, June 2008. I hear spring vetch has been officially recorded somewhere in West Cornwall and confirmed as a presence in the county, so perhaps I can be permitted to have seen it pre-1972 in the survey mile. I wonder where they found it? It's gone from hedges where it used to be, along with other scarcities and so-called scarcities that used to flourish in so many hedges unrecorded, before the flail arrived. I have given careful thought to including mention of some of the plants and butterflies. So little seems to be known of the species resident in Cornish hedges pre-flail that I realise some references may invite scepticism. I am a sceptic myself, so sympathise with the reaction; but I have concluded that, with a view to re-establishing vulnerable species, it needs to be known that they can with the right management safely and perpetually thrive in ordinary Cornish hedges. In future this knowledge could solve the increasingly difficult question of sufficient and suitable sites for sustainable wild flower and butterfly conservation - as long as it is a future in which the hedge-flail does not figure.
CHECK-LIST OF TYPES OF CORNISH HEDGE FLORA by Sarah Carter of Cornish Hedges Library:-
Titles of papers available on www.cornishhedges.co.uk:-
THE GUILD OF CORNISH HEDGERS is the non-profit-making organisation founded in 2002 to support the concern among traditional hedgers about poor standards of workmanship in Cornish hedging today. The Guild has raised public awareness of Cornwall's unique heritage of hedges and promoted free access to the Cornish Hedges Library, the only existing source of full and reliable written knowledge on Cornish hedges." |
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Recommended Plants for Wildlife in different situations
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From the Ivydene Gardens Box to Crowberry Wild Flower Families Gallery: |
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The Bumblebee Pages website is divided into five major areas:
FORCED INDOOR BULBS in Window Box Gardens. |
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Plants |
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Thyme |
Thymus praecox, wild thyme Thymus pulegioides Thymus leucotrichus Thymus citriodorus |
Thymes make a very fragrant, easy to care for windowbox, and an excellent choice for windy sites. The flower colour will be pinky/purple, and you can eat the leaves if your air is not too polluted. Try to get one variegated thyme to add a little colour when there are no flowers. |
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Herb |
Sage, mint, chives, thyme, rosemary |
Get the plants from the herb section of the supermarket, so you can eat the leaves. Do not include basil as it need greater fertility than the others. Pot the rosemary up separately if it grows too large. |
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Mints |
Mentha longifolia, horse mint Mentha spicata, spear mint Mentha pulgium, pennyroyal Mentha piperita, peppermint Mentha suaveolens, apple mint |
Mints are fairly fast growers, so you could start this box with seed. They are thugs, though, and will very soon be fighting for space. So you will either have to thin and cut back or else you will end up with one species - the strongest. The very best mint tea I ever had was in Marrakesh. A glass full of fresh mint was placed in front of me, and boiling water was poured into it. Then I was given a cube of sugar to hold between my teeth while I sipped the tea. Plant this box and you can have mint tea for months. |
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Heather |
Too many to list See Heather Shrub gallery |
For year-round colour try to plant varieties that flower at different times of year. Heather requires acid soils, so fertilise with an ericaceous fertilser, and plant in ericaceous compost. Cut back after flowering and remove the cuttings. It is best to buy plants as heather is slow growing. |
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Blue |
Ajuga reptans, bugle Endymion non-scriptus, bluebell Myosotis spp., forget-me-not Pentaglottis sempervirens, alkanet |
This will give you flowers from March till July. The bluebells should be bought as bulbs, as seed will take a few years to flower. The others can be started from seed. |
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Yellow |
Anthyllis vulneraria, kidney vetch Geum urbanum, wood avens Lathryus pratensis, meadow vetchling Linaria vulgaris, toadflax Lotus corniculatus, birdsfoot trefoil Primula vulgaris, primrose Ranunculus acris, meadow buttercup Ranunculus ficaria, lesser celandine |
These will give you flowers from May to October, and if you include the primrose, from February. Try to include a vetch as they can climb or trail so occupy the space that other plants can't. All can be grown from seed. |
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White |
Trifolium repens, white clover Bellis perennis, daisy Digitalis purpurea alba, white foxglove Alyssum maritimum Redsea odorata, mignonette |
All can be grown from seed. The clover and daisy will have to be cut back as they will take over. The clover roots add nitrogen to the soil. The mignonette flower doesn't look very special, but the fragrance is wonderful, and the alyssum smells of honey. |
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Pink |
Lychnis flos-cucli, ragged robin Scabiosa columbaria, small scabious Symphytum officinale, comfrey |
The comfrey will try to take over. Its leaves make an excellent fertiliser, and are very good on the compost heap, though windowbox gardeners rarely have one. |
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Fragrant |
Lonicera spp., honeysuckle Alyssum maritimum Redsea odorata, mignonette Lathyrus odoratus, sweet pea |
The sweet pea will need twine or something to climb up, so is suitable if you have sliding windows or window that open inwards. You will be rewarded by a fragrant curtain every time you open your window. |
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Spring bulbs and late wildflowers |
Galanthus nivalis, snowdrop Narcissus pseudonarcissus, narcissius Crocus purpureus, crocus Cyclamen spp. |
The idea of this box is to maximize your space. The bulbs (cyclamen has a corm) will flower and do their stuff early in the year. After flowering cut the heads off as you don't want them making seed, but leave the leaves as they fatten up the bulbs to store energy for next year. The foliage of the wildflowers will hide the bulb leaves to some extent. Then the wildflowers take over and flower till autumn |
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Aster spp., Michaelmas daisy Linaria vulgaris, toadflax Lonicera spp., honeysuckle Succisa pratensis, devil's bit scabious Mentha pulgium, pennyroyal |
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Bee Garden in Europe or North America |
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Plants for moths (including larval food plants and adult nectar sources) from Gardens for Wildlife - Practical advice on how to attract wildlife to your garden by Martin Walters as an Aura Garden Guide. Published in 2007 - ISBN 978 1905765041:- |
Marjoram - Origanum officinale |
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Wildlife-friendly Show Gardens
Many of our gardens at Natural Surroundings demonstrate what you can do at home to encourage wildlife in your garden. Follow the links below to explore our show gardens, and when you visit, be sure to pick up a copy of our Wildlife Gardening Trail guide
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Ivydene Gardens Water Fern to Yew Wild Flower Families Gallery: |
Only Wildflowers detailed in the following Wildflower Colour Pages |
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Disc - Many daisies are easy to grow and very free-flowering. The typical colour contrast between the disc and the surrounding rays creates a lively effect 
Floret is a small or reduced flower, especially 1 of a cluster in a composite flower - such as the florets of a sunflower (The very small flowers in a ring inside the yellow petals of 
