Late winter-flowering, hardy bulb Description: Deep golden yellow flowers with three outer petals brushed mahogany Habit: Grows 3 to 6 inches high Culture: Prefers full sun and well-drained garden loam; plant bulbs 3-4 inches deep Hardiness: USDA Zones 3 through 8 Jefferson documented 10 bulbs per bag Cloth of Gold Crocus was introduced in 1587 and described in early British herbals including John Parkinson's Paradisi in Sole (1629). In 1812, Thomas Jefferson was sent a dozen bulbs of this early-flowering 'herald of spring' from Bernard McMahon, a Philadelphia nurseryman and author of The American Gardener's Calendar (1806), who offered many rare and unusual plants. McMahon described it as 'golden yellow, striped with brown outside.' It is also known as Crocus susianus. Cloth of Gold can readily naturalize in flower beds, lawns, and deciduous woodlands.
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