Illustration
Album
Colchicum autumnale 'Album'
Album blooms from September through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Album
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 6 in tall and 4 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (a house reading).
Is Album toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by NC State Extension, Pet Poison Helpline and Royal Horticultural Society.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension and Royal Horticultural Society.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Album
Album is a fall-planted bulb: get it in the ground 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes, typically September or October in zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 9. It flowers that same fall, September to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in September. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Album get?
6 intall5 ft 7 inan adult4 inwideSee Album in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
Where these facts come from
Album's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on October 21, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Chicago Botanic Gardenhardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Brent and Becky's BulbsBrent & Becky's Bulbsheight, hardiness zones, water and bloom months and color
- American Meadowsheight, hardiness zones, water and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societysun and bloom months and color
- farmergracy.co.ukFarmer Gracyheight and spread
- Iowa State University Extensionbloom months and color
- Missouri Botanical Gardensun and water
- NC State Extensionsun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Album
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Deadly. Every part, especially the corm, holds colchicine, a potent toxin with no antidote. Eating any of it can kill people, dogs, cats and horses; a medical emergency. per ASPCA and PMC
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.