Description

Crocus Vanguard is a refined early-spring hybrid known for its striking bi-tone flowers: cool silvery lilac outer petals contrast beautifully with deep violet interiors. Blooming in February, it stands out for both its unusual colouring and its weather resilience, making it a favourite among Irish landscapers for early-season impact.

Vanguard is well-suited to naturalising in lawns, orchard borders, and under deciduous shrubs, where it returns year after year with increasing vigour. Its moderate height and strong colour make it especially effective when mass planted or drifted through grass. It thrives in full sun to light shade and performs well in most Irish soils, as long as drainage is adequate.

For longer flowering and colour variation, it pairs beautifully with Crocus tommasinianus ‘Barr’s Purple’, Galanthus elwesii, or early-flowering Iris reticulata. Its early flowering time also supports bees and other pollinators emerging from winter dormancy.