Learn How To Plant, Care and Grow Beautiful Crocosmia

Montbretia, Coppertips, Falling Stars

Crocosmia, Crocosmias, How to care for Crocosmia, Planting Crocosmia, Growing Crocosmia, Crocosmia care, Crocosmia x Crocosmiiflora, Montbretia, Coppertips, Falling Stars

Extremely showy and exotic-looking, Crocosmia produce decorative clumps of erect sword-shaped leaves and brilliant wands of fiery scarlet, red, orange, and yellow tubular flowers which bloom for 5-8 weeks from mid-summer through mid-fall. Easy to grow, they stand proud and bold provided some basic rules are respected.

1. Select The Right Site

Best flowering occurs in full sun or partial shade. Crocosmia will survive in part shade, but best flower production is obtained in full sun – except in hot summer climates where the part shade will enable the flowers to last longer.
Plant in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Crocosmia does not enjoy hot, dry sites.
Choose a spot sheltered from cold, drying winds.

Guide Information

Hardiness	6 - 9
Climate Zones	4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type	Bulbs, Perennials
Genus	Crocosmia
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Maintenance	Low
Water Needs	Average
Soil Type	Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH	Alkaline, Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Showy
Tolerance	Deer, Drought, Rabbit, Salt
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Landscaping Ideas	Patio And Containers, Beds And Borders, Banks And Slopes
Garden Styles	City and Courtyard, Coastal Garden, Informal and Cottage

Crocosmia ‘Bright Eyes’

Crocosmia ‘Emberglow’

Crocosmia ‘Limpopo’

2. Planting Your Crocosmia

Crocosmia corms should be planted in spring after all danger of frost is gone.
If conditions are cool or the soil temperature is cold, delay the planting until the soil has warmed up.
Plant your Crocosmia corms 2-3 in. deep (5-8 cm) and space them 6-8 in. apart (15-20 cm) when planted in groups – 18-24 in. away (45-60 cm) from the other plants.
Set the Crocosmia corms with the pointy end facing up. Cover it and press the soil down around the roots and water the planting area thoroughly.
Add a thick, dry, organic mulch to keep the soil moist and protect our crocosmias in winter.

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (Montbretia)

Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘Meteore’

Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘Star of the East’ (Montbretia)

3. Aftercare

Water your crocosmias once weekly during the growing season so the soil remains evenly moist.
Remove spent blooms to encourage new blooms. Cut the stems back to where they meet the leaves.
After blooming is over, keep the leaves so that the plant can put its energy back into its bulb for next summer’s blooming. The leaves give an energy charge to the bulb through photosynthesis, and for this, they need to keep their leaves!
Cut back the foliage almost to ground level when the leaves wither and die back.
Propagate by division in spring just before growth starts.
Crocosmia should only be divided every 3-4 years (in late summer or early fall) to restore vigor and increase flower production.

4. Overwintering

Most Crocosmias are winter hardy in zones 6-9, so in these climate zones, the corms can be left right in the ground. Some species, including Lucifer, are hardy in zone 5.
If you live in a colder area and want to save your corms for next spring, you may dig them up before the first frost and store them over winter before replanting them next spring. Not sure about your growing zone? Check here.
Remove surplus soil, dry, and then store in trays in a cool place – between 35°F and 45°F (2°C and 7°C).

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Crocosmia (Montbretia)

Garden Examples

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.