I first noticed, really noticed, crocosmia or ‘Lucifer’ while visiting gardens in Buffalo last July with 70 other garden bloggers. Crocosmia is a stunning plant in a devilish shade of scarlet. I came home and what did I find? Crocosmia growing on the Bridge of Flowers.
Yesterday we sold several potted up crocosmia at the Bridge of Flowers Plant Sale. They don’t look like much now, but just wait until July when they are three or four feet tall and waving wands of scarlet flowers. Crocosmia is a bulb and it has usually overwintered without any trouble on the Bridge. But sometimes it dies. It is not reliably hardy in Zone 5, although people say that if it is mulched well in the fall it will come through. I planted crocosmia last year – after my Buffalo trip – and never thought about checking what it needed for winter care. It did not come back this spring. Take care! Crocosmia needs winter mulch in our climate.
This isn’t reliable in zone 6 either. Of course we used to be zone 5 until they changed the map. I have had it a couple of times. It has died out each time. I got some bulbs from someone last year. They are coming up this year so I hope to be able to show some of those gorgeous blooms this summer.
Lisa – Lucky you! This is such a stunning plant!
I love crocosmias, too. I had some in my curb bed that had survived two or three winters, One day, I thought someone had stolen the main plant. When the guys came to paint our fire hydrant, and were tromping in the flower bed, I realized that they had probably stepped on it, and it came up when they were priming the fire hydrant. I found more and planted it in a different area, but it did not survive the winter. Neither did the baby part of the original plant or the gold colored one I found at a garden center.
Sue – You can lift the corms/bulbs whatever they are for the winter, but I am never very good at that.