Crocosmia



Thank, David Fenwick, for the interesting history of sp. Crocosmia and
its hybrids. I have about 50-60 Crocosmia "Lucifer" plants, mass planted

in the last three years. I don't think "Lucifer" has been around too
long (when was it hybridized, David?), because older gardens with
Crocosmias usually have smaller-flowered, orange or yellow Crocosmias,
not the stunning, superior, fiery orange-red "Lucifer."
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Although I have found that it takes two dry seasons to bloom from
initial planting, "Lucifer" has some expected and unexpected benefits
that I'll share from personal observation:
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• Color — It's a gorgeous, rich burnt-red flower (a hot color) that
makes a
great mid-summer foil for cool blue Dutch irises and salvias, or to mix
for a hotter look with bold, bright-yellow flowers, like rudbeckia.
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• Hummingbirds and sphinx moths love Crocosmias. Plant some in a
container on your deck and enjoy the show while sitting nearby.
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• Deer resistence — Although the long, gladiola-like leaves seem ideal
for grazing, deer on my property don't seem interested in it. The leaves

might be too fiberous (tough to chew and digest). Anyway, some "deer
resistent" lists mention Crocosmia, and I'd back that up with my
experience. To be sure, try a few plants for a year or two, before
investing
in a mass planting.
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• Drought tolerance — "Lucifer" needs only minimal dry season watering.
Also, since it flowers in partial shade, this is a good plant to tuck
under trees that don't like a lot of summer irrigation (oaks), or in dry
or
dryish shade, which is a challenging spot for many western  U.S.
gardeners.
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• Wet tolerance — Here in the Sierra Nevada foothills, we average 60-80
inches of rain a year. We've had over 100 inches several times since
1989.
The dampness Dec.-May doesn't seem to bother "Lucifer." I've seen
Crocosmias naturalized all over coastal California, which is pretty
much of the year. This combo of drought AND wet tolerance is valuable.
>
• Design — I've mixed Crocosmia with Kniphofia (red-hot poker),
Hemerocallas (daylilies) and Dutch iris to create a reedy, artificial
marsh design that comes into bloom around the same time of year,
June-August. As a Xeriscaper (dry gardener), I'm partly interested in
creating wet-looking areas (an artificial oasis) with plants that don't
need much water. Since all of these plants are very tough (pest-free,
drought-tolerant, cold-hardy, etc.), this will be a very durable
combo, I think. Other interesting thing about Crocosmia leaves, which
can be considered for design purposes: A slight breeze will make the
leaves
quake and twist a bit. Movement in the garden is often overlooked as
an aesthetic quality, but anyone with Miscanthus or other grasses will
attest
to the charm of plants dancing in the wind. Also, Crocosmia leaves are
quite striking when backlit by the sun.
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• Good cut flower: Crocosmia "Lucifer" lasts about 2 weeks in a vase, if

you change the water daily. All my office worker friends are dazzled by
"Lucifer" and wonder what it is. Few people seem to know about
Crocosmia, which makes a bouquet with Crocosmia an unsual treat. If I
had a cut-flower crop, I'd definitely plant several carefree rows of
"Lucifer" and let nature take its course.
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I've heard some conflicting info about the need lift and divide
Crocosmia after a few years. Any thoughts? I could use some definititive

info on this.
>
Paul Harrar
Nevada City, California, USA
Sunset Zone 7
2,700 feet
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