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Bulbous perennial of the family Colchicaceae, the autumn crocus is a native species in temperate Europe, from the British Isles to the Balkans, present from lowland meadows to mountain grasslands up to 1,800 meters altitude. The 'Album' cultivar is distinguished from the typical form by its pure, immaculate white flowers. The plant naturally occupies wet meadows, woodland edges, and cool pastures, on deep soils rich in organic matter.
The foliage, broad, lanceolate, and bright green, appears only in the spring following flowering and disappears in early summer, leaving the plant invisible for several months. The flowers emerge directly from the ground in autumn, without any leaves, borne by an elongated and fragile pure white perianth tube, with six star-spread tepals. This complete offset between foliage and flowering is one of the most singular characteristics of the species, earning it the popular name "son before the father."
In its natural habitat, flowering extends from August to October. Warning: the entire plant is extremely toxic, containing colchicine. In cultivation, it prefers a cool, deep, and well-drained soil, in a sunny to semi-shaded position, and readily naturalizes in lawns and under trees.