When to plant crocuses in Wilmington: by 1 November

In Wilmington, crocus: plant by 1 November. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit. For planting stock, the places nearby include Walmart Garden Center (garden centre, 4 km) and The Transplanted Garden (garden centre, 4 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Crocus in Wilmington: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 3.9 °C.

Planting	by 1 November
First autumn frost	1 December
Coldest nights	January, 3.9 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of January
Daylight	10:48 on 1 November
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:52

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

Crocus in Wilmington: 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 Wilmington the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 5 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

All the nearest cities on our list plant crocus earlier than Wilmington; the closest date is in Columbia, 2 days earlier.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Raleigh	186 km	by 20 October	12 days earlier
Columbia	290 km	by 30 October	2 days earlier
Charlotte	292 km	by 14 October	18 days earlier
Richmond	373 km	by 17 October	15 days earlier
Asheville	452 km	3 October – end of December	29 days earlier
Washington, D.C.	528 km	17 October – end of December	15 days earlier

Where to buy crocus for planting in Wilmington

Planting stock goes into the ground by 1 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Wilmington OpenStreetMap lists 2 garden centres (collected 29 October 2026).

The Transplanted Garden — garden centre
South 16th Street 502, 28401 Wilmington · Feb 02–Oct 31: Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00; Sat 09:00–17:00; Sun 11:00–16:00; Nov 01–Feb 01: Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00; Sat 09:00–17:00; Sun 11:00–16:00 · 4 km · transplantedgarden.com
Walmart Garden Center — garden centre
Sigmon Road 5226, 28403 Wilmington · 24/7 · 4 km · walmart.com

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