Re: crocosmia mystery

Hi everyone,
Only 25'C today in the Algarve, Portugal. I should really be out in the garden.
I haven't tried growing Crocosmias here - and I wasn't going to rush and try them as from my experience with them in Ireland, I did not think they would prosper here. In Ireland I have grown C x crocosmiifolia, C masonorum, C "Lucifer" and C "Sulfatare". For me they grew well and generally flowered well in a wide range of sites from full sun ( not that strong in Ireland !) to moderate shade and in a wide range of soils ( although I think they prefer quite a high organic content). The one thing they seemed to need to prosper - and for the leaves not to brown - was moist humid air. The most difficult plant in this regard was C "Sulfatare". Lack of moist air is not usually a problem in the West of Ireland...but you can get dehydrating windy spots and here they will survive but not prosper. One time I moved a sulfatare to such a spot and it moped for a year until other plants grew up around it providing a more sheltered humid microclimate - then it took off. I think this may be a clue as to how to grow it in a real med climate - grow it amongst other quite tall plants, in a soil with a high organic content to help maintain soil moisture between watering.
Cx crocosmiifolia is widely naturalised in Ireland and the south west of England. It seems most abundant and happiest along streams and ditches and in moist shady hedgerows. I think I remember reading somewhere that in South Africa most species occur along streams etc? 

Brian O
----- Original Message ----- From: "Sean A. O'Hara" <sean@gimcw.org> 
To: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: crocosmia mystery



Hi Karrie -

Having gardened years ago in Davis, I think it is very possible that there
might be something in the water affecting plants like Crocosmias in this way. 
But I also wonder if the dry heat of the Valley is just too much for them.
Our hottest areas here in the Bay Area can sometimes do what you describe.

The parents of these hybrids are native of summer rainfall temperate &
subtropical regions of South African as well as some in the Eastern Cape
(which may get rain at almost any time of the year). The fact that they are all dormant in winter should give us a clue. Only one species (seldom grown), 
Crocosmia fucata, comes from a single mountain range in winter rainfall
Namaqualand, within the summer-dry mediterranean region.

My observations of Crocosmias is that they enjoy relatively cool, moister
summers. Indeed they have become naturalized on our foggy Northern Pacific 
Coast in Calif. & Oregon - you'll find them blooming lushly in the verdant
roadside ditches along Hwy 1 at this time of year. I think this is why these 
plants have been such a favorite in the UK.
There are many nice blooming clumps in here in Berkeley right now, some very lush and full of green-tipped leaves (with regular summer water, of course), 
but then we've been in the more often than not this summer!
Crocosmias are often confused with Chasmanthe, another, similar South African bulb, but these are true mediterranean region endemics, fully dormant right now, showing theirt leaves in a month or so and flowering in late winter/early 
spring before drying off in March again.

Seán A. O'Hara
sean(at)gimcw.org
www.hortulusaptus.com
(ask about mediterranean climate gardening forum)
I just wonder if any of you Bay Area gardeners have had your water tested. 
Is it possible the Crocosmias are sensitive to something like the Boron
content in Davis water. Summer yields all sorts of tip burned plants there 
because of the Boron accumulation in summer.  Then in winter, it all gets
flushed away and spring growth looks fine.  Just a thought...
Karrie
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