Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Fall Crocuses

To make up for the lack of autumn color these bright yellow crocuses grow at the base of the dry stone walls along the sides of the country lanes around Molfetta. I have always associated crocuses with spring, but it seems there are some species that bloom in the fall.

The name "crocus" is derived from the Latin crocatus, meaning saffron yellow. The spice saffron is obtained from the stamens of Crocus sativus, a fall-blooming species, but this flower is not that type...too bad! It would be nice to have a cheap source of saffron just growing along the side of the road!

7 comments:

Tash said...

P.S. Just wondering - does blogging cut into your reading time? It sure slashed mine.

Tash said...

Sorry for the non-sequiter. I left a lengthy message 1st that I guess did not post. Nice color of the crocuses to see in the fall. I just realized that Molfetta is across from Dubrovnik - did you ever take the ferry there? I've been reading some of your other blogs too.

Saretta said...

Hi Tash - don't worry, I love non-sequiters! Yes, it has cut into my reading time...it takes up a lot of time each day! In fact, I have let my more personal blog "Amid the Olive Trees" sort of die since the school year started. I don't have the time for my work, helping my children with homework, driving them to afternoon activities, housework, etc., plus 2 active blogs! I do hope to get back to it someday, though.

I went to Dubrovnik in the summer of '92. The war there had finished shortly before our trip and we were some of the first tourists to return. It was nice because it is a beautiful city and coastline, and there were no crowds, but it was also eery to see the signs of the war that were still quite evident. I mean, there we were on vacation where the locals had been shooting at each other not too long before. I found it unsettling.

Saretta said...

Oops...typo! I meant to say summer of '96!

tr3nta said...

Are those ones the ones that give Zafferano???

PJ said...

Fall is a wonderful time for yellow and purple wildflowers around here and it looks like you might have the same magic.

Jane Hards Photography said...

Oh these are beautiful on a cold autumn day.