This is a great eye catcher,and very hot colors.
Lucifer crocosmia
A hardy looking tropical
I have this and I agree it is a stunning plant. In bud form, the buds remind me of a rattlesnake rattler. Seems like 'Lucifer' gets bigger than the other crocosmias.
They seem to spread quite fast as well,started with one 3 years ago,and have several now.
Oh, wow. I have one of these that hasn't bloomed yet. I was trying to imagine what the blooms would look like. I am glad to know its identity now. Yours are beautiful.
Not only are they beutiful but are hummingbird magnets. Love mine!
I love mine too! I agree that Lucifer seems like it gets bigger than the others.
I love mine also. I have mine planted where they grow up through large Shasta Daisies.
Lovely,my shastas are just now starting to bloom as well,has anybody got any of the yellow variety growing?
Wondering how there size compares to these?
Yellow shastas or yellow crocosmia. I have the yellow crocosmia and it is much shorter and no buds even showing yet where the Lucifer is in bud.Is there such a thing as a yellow shasta? That would be interesting.
Yes the yellow crocosmia,is it a fall bloomer,or just later in the summer?
I planted several potfulls, and they never came up. I was heartbroken! They aren't hardy to my area, so I wanted to be able to take them indoors for the winter. Don't ever seem to have any luck with freesias, either. Hmph.
Same here with the freesias and the tuberoses!
Same here with freesias, you would think with my zone being what it is I could do freesias but I think we are too wet. Never tried tuberose.
My yellow crocosmia is just later in the summer.Maybe a couple of weeks later.
I'm trying 'Lucifer' for the first time this year. Looks like all 20 are growing well-can't wait! I have mine with white shastas to, and with 'Goldstrum' rudbeckias, lilies, daylilies,etc. Tropicman, do you overwinter yours in the ground or dig them? I know they're supposed to be hardy to zone 5, but a gardener north of me said she had fewer and fewer each year, so now she digs and stores every fall. I was hoping not to need to do that (got enoght of that to do as it is!).
Also wondering about something I've read about crocosmias; a couple of sources (can't remember who) said they often take a few years to establish before flowering well. But if you do have to dig them, will they ever get "established"? I'm wondering about this because I also added some yelllow ones from a trade that I'm sure won't be hardy here. Might they be something I need to put in pots, and sink the pots in the garden each year to keep from disturbing them?
Oh, forgot. Lenjo, there is a new yellow shasta I've been seeing in some of the catalogs this year. Never tried it, but pic looks like a lovely soft yellow. I think Parks or Wayside was offering it.
G-Sage,
No they are perfectly hardy here,there are planted around my sum and substance hosta,because they want to fall over,instead of standing up straight,the leaves like gladiola leaves are 3ft tall or better,and with the weight of the flower spike and the wind they seem to lean over,and they still do a little,and it took 3 yrs before they started blooming this good.
I think anytime you dig up any bulb,and store overwinter takes a little away from the flower,but not so with a rhizsome,like cannas they come back strong,not sure why!
Don
Thanks Don. That's good to hear; we're in the same zone, so I'll treat mine the same. Mine have a lot of nice foliage now and are about 2' tall. I have lots of shastas and rudbeckias around them and am hoping they will hold them up. In fall I believe I will pot up the yellow ones to keep from disturbing the bulbs and mulch the 'Lucifer' patch really well. Thanks again, Neal.
My Lucifer is 4 feet tall here and the yellow crocosmia are half that size. I looked yesterday and no buds on yellow yet. Yellow daisies , sound pretty, I 'll have to go looking for some.
Must be all that Oregan Rain!!!LOL
I think you are right, Don, they say we don't tan here in Oregon , we rust and especially this year. Joann
Rust is such a pretty color in the fall!!! LOL
Joann, I couldn't agree with you more. The weather this year is crazy. It's still raining outside. I've had to treat a number of my plants for powdery mildew This time last year it was in the 90's already. With such low levels of rain this winter, I was really worried about having a severe water shortage this summer, but I have a feeling we've caught up for the year.
Speaking of Crocosmia, when do they typically bloom? I planted some in late April/early May, but they just shot up some fans. I'm really looking forward to the blooms though. :)
Emily, mine are in bud now. So early July I guess would be the answer to when the Lucifer blooms.
Not only do we rust, this year we just can't hardly keep ahead of slugs and weeds. Emily, I never did worry we would be behind on water.Even if our spring would have stayed dry, we would still have plenty of water. The water tables aren't affected that quickly. I was so sick of hearing drought. I don't think western Oregon knows the true meaning of the word. LOL