Last updated on June 8th, 2022
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Crocosmias are a great way to add bright flowers to your border gardens, full of citrus coloured shades. There are literally hundreds of varieties to choose from, for example, the popular Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ with bright red flowers (as shown in the main picture) or the Crocosmia ‘Spitfire’ that produces fiery orange flowers, this is also a dwarf variety. So, you should be able to find a Crocosmia that is perfect for you and your garden, no matter the size, shape, and style of your garden.
Some varieties have upright growing habits, with bright green leaves while others produce sprays of flowers you will no doubt want to display on your tables. They also make excellent cut flowers, plus they flower prolifically and can be divided every 3 years to provide you with bigger and better displays.
Where to grow Crocosmia plants
If you want to plant Crocosmias in your garden you will need fertile, well-draining but moist soil. They aren’t fussy about soil type but they seem to do better in slightly acidic soil.
They also prefer full sun but if you only have an area with light shading and some sunlight for part of the day, they will usually survive there too.
As mentioned, they need well-draining soil because they must be watered regularly (without, of course, becoming waterlogged). Consider digging plenty of organic compost to improve the water retention to help keep the soil moist. If the area is a little prone to waterlogging then we recommend improving the soil first, digging in plenty of grit and organic matter.
How to plant Crocosmia
Crocosmias are corms, which means you can plant them using the same method as bulbs. For this, dig holes in your garden 8 inches deep and fill them with well-rotted compost. Place a few corms in the hole, about 6 to 8 inches apart around 3 to 5 inches deep. This will help you create a reasonably sized clump of flowers in the near future. Then, cover with soil and water well, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged because this can rot the combs.
General Care
Once planted, you will need to protect them during winter and of course, keep them from drying out in summer. This simply means keeping the soil moist and now allowing them to dry out. They multiply very quickly so, within a few years, the clumps will be congested and need dividing in order to keep up the health and long-term the flowers that are produced.
Propagating Crocosmias
If you want to propagate from your Crocosmia, you can remove the clumps in spring, divide them, and then replant the divisions. We recommend that this is something you should do every 3-4 years.
You can learn more about how and when to divide Crocosmia in this guide
Problems – keep an eye out for spider mites
The good news is, unlike most plants, Crocosmia doesn’t have that many problems and remains disease and pest free most of the time. However, they can experience issues with spider mites.
The problem with the red spider mite is that they are so small you often don’t notice they are a problem until they have multiplied to the point of making webs across the plant. So, as soon as you notice the issue, treat them with a pesticide spray.
Recommended Varieties
- For compact gardens, you can grow the Crocosmia ‘Emily McKenzie’ that has bright orange flowers with a mahogany throat.
- The Crocosmia ‘Citronella’ is an upright plant with small, yellow flowers.
- For height, you should try the Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ which grows up to 1.5m and produces fiery red blooms.
- For a hybrid with stunning, orange-red flowers, you can try the new Crocosmia ‘Harvest Sun’.
- If you want a medium height plant, try the Crocosmia ‘George Davison’. It grows to approximately 60cm and produces upright stems of golden yellow coloured flowers.
See the availability of Crocosmia that Yougarden.com have for sale
- EASY TO GROW - Although these deciduous plants are very easy plants to grow for the best results plant them in full sun on a well-drained site
- SUMMER COLOUR - Crocosmia are relatives of the Gladioli family having very similar attributes like their long sword like leaves and tall arching spiked stems that bare bright funnel shaped flowers throughout the summer
- CUT FLOWERS - Lift and divide thinning out clumps to maintain vigour and encourage flowering. They make excellent cut flowers
- WHAT YOU GET - This listing is for one plant in a 9cm pot ready to be planted in the garden
- Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora Red King is a cormous, clump forming plant
- Features tubular, nodding, vibrant, red and warm yellow flowers
- Herbaceous cormus perennial
- A more compact cultivar that are a popular traditional English cottage garden plant
- UK Plant Passport Number 6400
- Crocosmia Lucifer giant 10+ corms
- Larger corms = more flowers
- Summer flowering
- CATEGORY : - CROCOSMIA “MONTBRETIA” : - VARIETY: - EMILY MCKENZIE
- TYPE: - READY POTTED: - SIZE: - 1 LITRE POT: - STAGE: - EARLY STAGES OF GROWTH
- DESCRIPTION : - ARCHING FLOWERS GLOWING ORANGE FLOWERS WITH CRIMSON THROATS
- QUANTITY PER UNIT: - 1: - HEIGHT: - 60-70 CM: - BLOOMS: - SUMMER FLOWERING
- PLEASE NOTE THE PICTURE IS A STOCK PICTURE ONLY AND SHOWS HOW THE PLANT WILL LOOK WHEN FULLY MATURE PLANT SENT IN THE EARLY STAGES OF GROWTH : - PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AND PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
- SUMMER COLOUR - Crocosmia are relatives of the Gladioli family having very similar attributes like their long sword like leaves and tall arching spiked stems that bare bright funnel shaped flowers throughout the summer
- EASY TO GROW - Although these deciduous plants are very easy plants to grow for the best results plant them in full sun on a well-drained site
- CUT FLOWERS - Lift and divide thinning out clumps to maintain vigour and encourage flowering. They make excellent cut flowers
- WHAT YOU GET - This listing is for one plant in a 9cm pot ready to be planted in the garden
- CROCOSMIA BULBS X20
- ARCHING FLOWERS GLOWING RED FLOWERS WITH CRIMSON THROATS
- BLOOMS: - SUMMER FLOWERING
- READY FOR PLANTING NOW
- Pot Size (Supplied): 9cm
- Supplied Height (Incl. Pot): 20-30cm
- Characteristics: Perennial, mid-green sword-shaped leavesand bright red funnel-shaped flowers that appear in clusters.
- Height and Spread: 1.5 / 0.5m
- Montbretia Cormous
- Lucifer is a hybrid clump forming plant that features tubular, nodding, vibrant, scarlet red flowers.
- Very fragrant
- Tall, stiffly arching, sometimes branched, flower stems.
- UK Plant Passport Number 6400
- Pot Size (Supplied): 9cm
- Supplied Height (Incl. Pot): 20-30cm
- Characteristics: Perennial, green sword-shaped leaves with branched stems that carry several orange flowers in the Summer months.
- Height and Spread: 1 / 0.5m
Last update on 2022-03-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
