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Chasmanthe and its uses

>From: "Gay Klok" <gklok@hba.trumpet.com.au>
>Subject: Re: Crocosmia or Chasmanthe?
>Sender: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
>Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 13:57:38 +0000
>
> I have never heard of Chasmanthe.   <snip>
> Sean writes that Crocosmia [montbretia] can become 6ft tall.
> I cannot believe that, the Channel area road verges would be an
> unbelievable sight!

Gay -

It was the Chasmanthe that I've seen grow to 6ft - easy to believe
if you'd ever seen the plant (sorry to mislead).  I knew a clump of
C. floribunda that had 'humped up' over time into a very large mound
and was this height, with a spread of 8ft!! (including the arching
leaves).  Quite impressive, but a little scary!

>    <snip>             The crocosmia, as we know it, only grows to 2ft
> with 1/2 inch wide leaves.    The corms grow on top of one another
>        A casual description of my unknown would be a cross between Watsonias,
> Crocosmia and with Gladiolus like corms.   I think now I have it
> named but as I have written, can't find Chasmanthe in any of my
> numerous  books.

This does sound like a resonable description of Chasmanthe!
Probably just as well that you don't know it and don't see it in
Tasmania.  It is well established in our local urban area, though I
have yet to see it in the surrounding countrysides.  I have also
seen it pictured in Mediterranean gardens routinely.  It is somewhat
of a thug, but it has it's uses.  I'm going to plant a lot of the
corms I have in an area near my children's school - usually used as
a dumping ground for all sorts of objectional and dangerous waste by
uncaring citizens.  We are turning the area into a flower garden as
part of an educational project in which the school is involved.  The
school (Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley) has also participated in the
publishing of a book about gardening with children, due out in
spring (more information coming on that later).  In any case, this
former railway siding will soon become a handsome garden, featuring
various 'tough guys' like the Chasmanthe which will take some almost
intolerable conditions and still look well!

 Sean A. O'Hara                     sean.ohara@ucop.edu
 710 Jean Street                    http://www.dla.ucop.edu/sao
 Oakland, California  94610-1459    h o r t u l u s   a p t u s
 (510) 987-0577                     'a garden suited to its purpose'
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