---
title: Six Bulbs to Plant This Week That Flower This Autumn, Not Next Spring
description: Colchicum, saffron crocus, Crocus speciosus and Cyclamen hederifolium flower within weeks of a September planting. RHS depths, this week's prices, and why nerines need a pot.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-09-07T23:23:07.047Z
updated: 2026-10-22T15:14:31.935Z
canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/autumn-flowering-bulbs-plant-september
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-from-above-of-bright-blooming-flowers-of-autumn-crocus-growi-5273018.jpg
categories: Garden
content_type: Guide
region: United Kingdom, Europe
publication: Rich Woman Magazine
access: members
schema_type: Article
---

Colchicum corms sold dry this month will often start into flower before they are in the ground. [Crocus.co.uk](https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/colchicum-autumnale-album/classid.2000014495/) tells buyers of Colchicum autumnale 'Album' that the corms "often start producing shoots or flowers while dormant, which is normal due to their short rest period", and that any already in flower should be put on a sunny windowsill and enjoyed there, then planted outside once the blooms fade.

[Most bulbs planted in September](https://richwoman.co/article/gardening-for-your-wellbeing-this-autumn-10-healthy-minutes-for-10-lasting-plants) are a promise for April. The six below flower in the autumn they are planted because their rest period is short and they are sold while already stirring into growth. On the suppliers' own dates, colchicum, saffron crocus and top-size cyclamen tubers planted this week give their first flowers in October.

Four of the six are near-certain in their first autumn if planted now: colchicum, Crocus sativus, Crocus speciosus and Cyclamen hederifolium, with the RHS's caveat that first-year crocus flowers may come a little later than usual. Sternbergia lutea and Nerine bowdenii are likelier to flower next autumn than this one, and the main suppliers are not sending out nerine bulbs until spring.

---

*This article is only available to registered readers. Visit the article URL to read the full piece.*