When to plant crocuses in Raleigh: by 20 October

In Raleigh, crocus: plant by 20 October. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit. For planting stock, the places nearby include Wyatt-Quarles Seed (farm supply, 6 km) and Pedal 2 Petal Bicycle & Plant Shop (garden centre, 8 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Crocus in Raleigh: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 1.4 °C.

Planting	by 20 October
First autumn frost	19 November
Coldest nights	January, 1.4 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of January
Daylight	11:09 on 20 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:44

The same dates in Raleigh hold for Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil and Hyacinth.

Crocus in Raleigh: depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant Dutch crocuses (Crocus vernus) about 12 cm deep and 9 cm apart; smaller species go 7–10 cm deep (RHS).

In Raleigh the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 12 weeks a year (our estimate from ten years of monthly weather). For this bulb Wisconsin Horticulture Extension gives a cold period of 15–17 weeks at about 2–10 °C. That is less than the bulbs need, and without more cold they may not flower properly. The cold can also be given in a refrigerator at about 2–7 °C, as Wisconsin Horticulture Extension does for crocuses forced in pots.

Crocuses multiply on their own (they naturalise); in a lawn, hold off mowing until their leaves die back (RHS).

Birds, squirrels and rodents damage crocuses; planting under metal mesh may reduce losses (RHS). Spring crocus gives dogs and cats vomiting and diarrhoea; do not confuse it with autumn crocus (Colchicum), which is very toxic (Pet Poison Helpline).

Sources: RHS, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, Pet Poison Helpline.

Crocus in nearby cities

Around Raleigh, Asheville is 17 days earlier and Wilmington 12 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Wilmington	186 km	by 1 November	12 days later
Charlotte	208 km	by 14 October	6 days earlier
Richmond	224 km	by 17 October	3 days earlier
Columbia	294 km	by 30 October	10 days later
Asheville	354 km	3 October – end of December	17 days earlier
Washington, D.C.	377 km	17 October – end of December	3 days earlier

Where to buy crocus for planting in Raleigh

Planting stock goes into the ground by 20 October; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Raleigh OpenStreetMap lists 8 garden centres, 2 farm-supply shops, 1 plant nursery, 4 markets and 6 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Pedal 2 Petal Bicycle & Plant Shop — garden centre
East Main Street 122, 27529 Garner · Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00 · 8 km
The Cleveland Plant & Flower Company — garden centre
Atlantic Boulevard 4200 · Mon–Fri 08:00–15:00; Sat 08:00–10:00 · 9 km
Garden Center at The Home Depot — garden centre
Mon–Sat 06:00–22:00; Sun 08:00–20:00 · 9 km
Cary Downtown Farmers Market — market
East Park Street 160, 27511 Cary · Sat 08:00–12:00 · 13 km · caryfarmersmarket.com
Market 317 — market
South Academy Street 317, 27511 Cary · Mon–Sun 09:00–18:00 · 13 km · downtowncarypark.com
Turkuaz Market — market
North Harrison Avenue 329, 27513 Cary · Sun–Thu 10:00–19:00; Fri–Sat 10:00–20:00 · 13 km · facebook.com
State Farmers Market — market
Agricultural Street 1201, 27603 Raleigh · 2 km · ncagr.gov
Wyatt-Quarles Seed — farm supply
US 70 730, 27529 Garner · 6 km

Questions