Hiking for crocuses in the Carpathians

Oh, herbs, herbs, so many herbs,
Cling to my darling's white feet...
So that among the crocuses and lilies
She blossomed like a flower of happiness!

(c)Maksym Rylsky

Every season in the Carpathians fascinates with its special colors and beauty. As soon as the spring sunshine hits the ground and the snow begins to melt, the first flowers appear in the valleys and meadows. After a long and cold winter, nature gradually awakens, and you can see an amazing scene on the forest edges and mountain meadows - new life is making its way to the sun from under the snow. These are the firstborns of spring and the real amethysts of the Carpathian meadows - crocuses.

With their warmth, crocuses warm the snow, forming small single holes, but very soon there are so many purple flowers that they form real carpets on the mountain slopes. Sometimes it can be difficult to walk without stepping on the flowers.

The flowering of crocuses in the Ukrainian Carpathians can only be compared to the flowering of red rue in terms of beauty. You should definitely see it at least once!

The botanical name of the Carpathian crocuses that bloom in spring is Heuffel's saffron, or Crocus heuffelianus. The countries of Asia Minor, the Middle East, and India are considered to be the homeland of saffron, and it was known in Ancient Egypt. Crocuses are mentioned in the works of King Solomon, Homer and Hippocrates. In Greek, the word "crocus" means fiber or thread.

Heifel saffron is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine as an endangered early spring plant. This is due to the fact that the places where it can grow are disappearing. In the lowlands of the Carpathians, anthropogenic impact and the expansion of farms are increasingly felt. In the mountains, on the contrary, meadows are disappearing, where cattle graze and where whitebush or other low plant species grow. The meadows are gradually overgrown with blueberries and bushes, tall grass, and the crocus can no longer break through such a thick carpet. These factors affect the species' distribution area, which is decreasing every year.

Because the saffron flower has outstanding decorative properties, it can also be seen on sale in cities. "Collectors" dig up the flowers together with the bulb, causing irreparable damage to nature. So you shouldn't give crocuses as gifts, but celebrate spring with them in the March or April forest and on mountain meadows! Love for the native nature should be a reliable guarantee of protection of rare and endangered species.

When do crocuses bloom in the Carpathians?

Heifel's saffron is an ephemeroid and blooms for a rather short period of time. Crocuses are also called the flower of the moon, as the plant's growing season depends on the phases of the night sky. But the biggest influence on the flowering time of crocuses is the thickness of the snow and the number of sunny days. If the thickness of the snow is more than 10–15 centimeters, the crocus flower will simply not break through it. At the same time, a decrease in the thickness of the snow cover contributes to better warming of the ground through its layer. With enough heat, saffron bulbs wake up from their winter sleep and the growing season begins.

Every year the number of warm days in spring and the amount of precipitation in the form of snow in the Carpathians varies greatly, so it is almost impossible to predict exactly when crocuses will begin to bloom. It is usually warmer down in the mountain valleys, but not everywhere they grow there. The very first flowers can be seen in the mountain village of Kolochava, where crocuses grow on the territory of the skansen, and therefore are protected. A bright purple saffron carpet can cover the museum's territory as early as mid-March. In the mountain meadows, the probability of seeing crocuses is also very high, but spring arrives there around the beginning of April.

As for the flowering period, it depends on the height of the flower and the exposure of the slope. On the southern slopes, snow melts much faster, but in the northern mountain circuses of Chornohora and Svydovets, crocuses can be seen even at the end of May. In some places, snow remains there until early June. So, keeping an eye on the weather and choosing the right hiking routes, you can observe the flowering of extremely beautiful crocuses for two whole months!

Where to find crocuses in the Carpathians?

In April, it is worth visiting the southern slopes of low meadows. On the slopes open to the sun, at altitudes from 1000 to 1500 meters, the process of snow melting is quite fast, so it is worth starting a hiking photo hunt for these incredibly beautiful spring flowers from there. For example, hiking Hoverla on the palm of your hand in April will be a great opportunity to admire the delicate purple flowers against the backdrop of the harsh and still snow-covered beauty Hoverla. In April, the nights are still quite cool, so a good bonus will be the opportunity to spend the night in a Hutsul house right on the Carpathian meadow.

You can see real saffron carpets underfoot in the highlands of the Carpathians in early May. It is worth choosing ridges with spacious mountain meadows and meadows, namely Chornohora, Svydovets and Marmarosy. These hikes are a great opportunity to fully unite with nature, because it is already warm enough to spend the night in tents. Sometimes there are so many flowers that you can't help but pitch a tent on them! Photographers will be delighted - there are many good angles every day!

If you're going for crocuses, you'll have to go to the Kuluar 🙂