The Main Plant entry for Crocosmias (Crocosmia)

This plant is very invasive in my yard. I have a large area to plant in but have removed many of these. Next year I will have many to share if any one will want them. I live in zone 8b in Thomasville Ga. Elaine

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"They can be evergreen or deciduous perennials that grow from basal underground corms. The basal, alternate leaves are cauline and distichous. The leaves are lanceolate. The blades are parallel-veined. The margin is entire. The corms are unusual in forming vertical chains with the youngest at the top and oldest and largest buried most deeply in the soil. The roots of the lowermost corm in a chain are contractile roots and drag the corm deeper into the ground where conditions allow. The chains of corms are fragile and easily separated, a quality that has enabled some species to become invasive and difficult to control in the garden.

They have colourful inflorescences of 4 to 20 vivid red and orange subopposite flowers on a divaricately (horizontally) branched stem. The terminal inflorescence can have the form of a cyme or a raceme. These flower from early summer well into fall. The flowers are sessile on a flexuose arched spike. The fertile flowers are hermaphroditic. All stamens have an equal length. The style branches are apically forked. They are pollinated by insects, birds (hummingbirds) or by the wind. The dehiscent capsules are shorter than they are wide.

Crocosmia are winter-hardy in temperate regions. They can be propagated through division, removing offsets from the corm in spring."

Taken from wikipedia's page at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...

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I've planted crocosmia several times, but it only bloomed the first year. Only one plant is left. This year new corm did not grow. I also bought young plants. They are still alive, but...

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Crocosmia's bright flowers and vertical leaves make it a strong focal point in a perennial border. Pale yellow flowers make a good foil for its intense red-orange, which also harmonizes with blues. Plant it in drifts in large sunny areas where it has room to spread.

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