Re: crocosmia mystery

Now, that indeed is a mystery.
I was just getting ready write back and say that I thought the brown leaves must be because of the heat and or not a lot of water. But your experience contradicts that.
I live near the south end of the San Francisco Bay but where it is quite warm, in Sunset Zone 17 but protected from freezing somewhat like Sunset Zone 19. A few years ago, after seeing them blooming beautifully in mid-late summer at Dan Hinkley's then Heronswood, I bought both the bright tangarine type and a few of the red ones. I've got the red ones over in a perennial bed in my community garden plot where they get just a bit of morning sun. They do fine, although think they would be spreading more with just a bit more sun. The tarngarine-colored ones are in a sunny bed here at home and they are burned brown already, starting browning in early July before they even bloomed for the season.
In fact I had been out watering that area just before I saw the first email and I thought the judgement was going to come in that they can't take the summer heat in California. But if yours are thriving in warm Folsom summers, Karrie, I don't know what to say.
I bought named varieties and from a reputable local nursery; they were already potted up and blooming in one gallon containers when I got them. 

I wish they would do better for me.  I do like them.

Carol
On Aug 5, 2007, at 4:32 PM, Reidfamily wrote:
About 7 or 8 years ago a neighbor of mine pulled up a handful of crocosmia bulbs from her shady yard and offered them to me. She said they no longer bloomed in her garden because they didn't get enough sun. I planted them in full sun where, as everyone has noted, they grow like weeds. I have no idea if they are named, but their site is as hot as the hinges of hell, and they only get watered once a week or twice if the temperatures are over 95. They bloom like mad and don't get any brown leaves until it starts to get cold in 
the fall.  They are such aggressive spreaders, I have often considered
getting rid of them, but when they bloom each summer they just knock my socks off, especially as the sun goes down when they positively glow a deep 
tangerine.  So, each year I yank them out at the edges and keep them
thinned, and they do just fine. As a matter of fact, because I put in quite a few new plants near them, I have watered their bed more often this year and had fewer blooms! I think with your experiences, they really must vary 
widely in adaptability between varieties.  I wish I could send you a
pocketful of mine!  Actually, I suppose I could in the fall!

Karrie Reid
Folsom Foothill Gardener
Zone 9
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