• Many species of crocus bloom in late winter to early spring.Sharon Dominick/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Crocuses are a harbinger of spring in the eyes of many gardeners, but some species bear their dainty flowers in autumn, too. These perennial plants grow from corms -- bulb-like underground stems -- that multiply over the years. Overall, there are 80 species of crocuses, plus cultivars that display more ornate or larger flowers prized for garden designs. Crocuses are planted in autumn and suitable to grow across U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3-8, depending on species.
  
  

Tommy Crocus

• The tommy crocus, Crocus tommasinianus, blooms in late winter to early spring, growing 3 to 4 inches tall. Native to southeastern Europe, tommy crocuses tend to spill their seeds and multiply, creating natural drifts of plants across the garden. The flowers are small and goblet-shaped, ranging from pale silvery lilac to rosy pink or red-violet. Some tommy crocus cultivars are Barr's Purple, Ruby Giant and Whitewell Purple. Albus produces pure white flowers around golden stamens.
  
  

Dutch Crocus

• Cultivars of the Dutch, or spring crocus, are among the most vibrantly colored types on the market. Dutch crocus, Crocus vernus, is native to Europe from Italy to western Russia. Plant breeders in Holland developed scores of those colorful crocus cultivars, often with muddy lineages with other crocus species. These plants grow 4 to 5 inches tall and bloom anytime from late winter to late spring, typically with white, lilac or purplish flowers. Modern hybrid selections have ornate petal striping or other color patterns and combinations. Names of some spring crocus varieties are Early Perfection, Flower Record, Jeanne d'Arc, King of the Striped, Pickwick, Peter Pan, Remembrance and Vanguard.
  
  

Snow Crocus

• Snow crocus, Crocus chrysanthus, from the Balkans, naturally produce yellow flowers that range from creamy yellow to deep gold, often with maroon blush on outer petals. Some modern varieties have blue or violet hues, the result of this species breeding with the white Crocus biflorus, according to Learn2Grow. In catalogs, these varieties typically carry the ambiguous name of "Chrysanthus hybrids" and offer a wide array of ornately flowering plants that grow merely 2 to 3 inches tall, blooming in late winter to early spring. Cultivar names include Advance, Blue Bird, Cream Beauty, Elegance, Eyecatcher, Ladykiller, Gypsy Girl, Skyline, Snow Bunting and Zwanenburg Bronze.
  
  

Complex Hybrid Crocuses

• Many crocus cultivars are given only a cultivar name because of the numerous species making up their genetic lineage. They display the characteristics of any of their parentage, including flower size, color and overall plant height. Names of some complex garden hybrids are Dutch Yellow, Blue Bird, Ard Schenk, Goldilocks, N.B., Vanguard, Triumphator and Zephyr.
  
  

Autumn Crocuses

• Several species of crocus bloom in the autumn or early winter after a long dormant period brought on by hot and dry summer soil conditions. The return of rain and cool temperatures beckon their flowers to appear in autumn and their foliage to remain across the winter and early spring. Crocus speciosus is among the fall-blooming species, and includes a few cultivars like Aitchisonii, Conqueror and Oxonion according to the "A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants." The saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, also blooms in fall. The fall-flowering crocuses tend to be less tolerant of winter cold and are best grown in gardens in zones 6-8.