Is Autumn Crocus deer resistant?
Colchicum sp.
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Autumn Crocus
Flowers appear in autumn from bare ground, leaves the following spring. Colchicine in every part is why deer and rodents both refuse it.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 6 to 8 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Autumn Crocus
Other bulbs with the same deer rating.
- BluebellEndymion sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Crown ImperialFritillaria imperialisZones 5–8Rarely damaged
- DaffodilNarcissus spp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Ornamental OnionAllium giganteumZones 4–8Rarely damaged
- Siberian SquillScilla sibericaZones 2–8Rarely damaged
- SnowdropsGalanthus nivalisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Where Autumn Crocus grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
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Every list Autumn Crocus belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Autumn Crocus
- Is Autumn Crocus deer resistant?
- Autumn Crocus (Colchicum sp.) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Autumn Crocus grow in?
- Autumn Crocus is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Autumn Crocus grow in shade?
- Yes. Autumn Crocus tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- Is Autumn Crocus toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Autumn Crocus as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.