Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is one of the easier summer flowers to grow, and once it settles in it comes back year after year with little help. Its arching stems of scarlet flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds.1Longfield Gardens. Growing Crocosmia for Hummingbirds It is a garden hybrid bred in England from plants native to moist South African grasslands, which explains its taste for sun and steady moisture.2San Marcos Growers. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ Most of its care comes down to a sunny planting spot and, in the coldest regions, a plan for winter.
What the Lucifer Plant Is and What to Expect
‘Lucifer’ grows from corms, swollen underground stems that store food much like a bulb.3Homes and Gardens. Now is the time to divide your crocosmia plants – here is why you must and how to do it properly The slightly pointed end is the top, where shoots emerge, and fine roots or root scars mark the bottom. Firm corms are healthy; soft or shriveled ones may fail.
Above ground, it forms clumps of narrow, sword-shaped leaves with flower stems rising just above them.4Missouri Botanical Garden. Crocosmia Lucifer Stems usually reach about 3 feet, occasionally 4 feet.5Missouri Botanical Garden. Crocosmia Lucifer Each stem carries tubular, nodding, scarlet flowers lined up along one side of its upper part.6Missouri Botanical Garden. Crocosmia Lucifer The flowers last several weeks, typically in July and August in the Northern Hemisphere.7Gardens Illustrated. How to grow crocosmia: planting and caring for crocosmia Spent flowers give way to seedpods that many gardeners leave for interest.8Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer
You may also see common orange montbretia at garden centers. Both are crocosmias, but Lucifer is taller with deeper red flowers, while montbretia is the older type known for spreading. Buying a named variety tells you which behavior to expect.
Choosing a Sunny Spot
The most flowers come in full sun.9Gardenia. Learn How To Plant, Care and Grow Beautiful Crocosmia Lucifer survives in light shade, though it blooms less there.10Royal Horticultural Society. How to grow crocosmias In hot-summer climates, afternoon shade helps the flowers last longer.11Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer A spot sheltered from hot, dry wind also keeps stems and blooms in better shape.12Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer
Full sun means roughly six or more hours of direct sun a day. To judge a spot, check it in the morning, at midday and in the afternoon on a summer day. Walls and fences can add shade or reflected heat, and tall stems may lean toward the light if they’re partly shaded.
Wind matters too. Arching 3-foot stems can flop on exposed sites. Planting near sturdy neighbors gives natural support, and a fence or hedge on the windy side reduces damage.
Soil, Planting Depth and Spacing
Lucifer tolerates many soils but does best in fertile, moist but well-drained ground.13RHS Growing Guide. How to grow crocosmias Loam rich in organic matter suits it, with a pH of about 6.0 to 8.0.14NC State Extension. Crocosmia Heavy clay is best avoided because it stays wet.15Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer Mixing compost into the planting area helps both drainage and fertility.
To test drainage before planting, dig a hole about a foot deep and fill it with water. If water remains hours later, the spot drains poorly. Raised beds or mounded soil fix soggy ground, which matters because corms sitting in wet soil over winter are likely to rot.
Plant once the risk of frost has passed.16Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer Set corms pointed end up, roots down.17Royal Horticultural Society. How to grow crocosmias Plant about three times the corm’s depth, usually 3 to 5 inches.18Royal Horticultural Society. How to grow crocosmias Space them 4 to 8 inches apart.19Royal Horticultural Society. How to grow crocosmias Clusters rather than single rows give the best display.20Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer Planting later in spring makes corms sprout faster, and timing shifts when they bloom.21Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Hortorum Cultus. MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS, FLOWERING AND CORM YIELD OF Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora (Lemoine) N.E. CULTIVARS ARE DETERMINED BY PLANTING TIME
For a cluster, dig one wide hole rather than many small ones. Place five to seven corms evenly in a loose group, cover them, firm the soil gently and water thoroughly. Mark the spot, since shoots take weeks to appear.
Watering and Feeding for More Flowers
Water new plantings regularly until they are growing strongly.22RHS Growing Guide. How to grow crocosmias Established plants rarely need extra water unless summer soil dries out.23RHS Growing Guide. How to grow crocosmias To check, push a finger an inch or two into the soil and water deeply if it feels dry. Mulch helps hold moisture in summer.
Pots dry out quickly, especially in warm weather, so check them often.24RHS Growing Guide. How to grow crocosmias A heavy clump in a small pot may need water daily at the height of summer. Pots need drainage holes, because corms in a waterlogged pot rot just as they do in soggy ground. Water until it runs out the bottom, then let the top inch or two dry before watering again. Frequent watering also washes nutrients out, so a potted plant may need a light feeding of low-nitrogen bulb fertilizer at the start of the season where a garden plant in decent soil would not.
In the ground, a balanced fertilizer in spring as new growth appears is enough.25Plant Detectives. The Crocosmia Guide High-nitrogen fertilizer pushes leaves at the expense of flowers.26Your Flowers Guide. How to Grow and Care for Crocosmia: Planting, Growing, and Overwintering Guide If soil is low in phosphorus or potassium, a bulb fertilizer such as 5-10-10 can go in when shoots reach 6 to 8 inches.27Your Flowers Guide. How to Grow and Care for Crocosmia: Planting, Growing, and Overwintering Guide Leave the foliage after flowering; it feeds next year’s corms.28Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer
If a clump gives plenty of leaves but few flowers, look at the usual suspects. Too much nitrogen, including runoff from lawn fertilizer, favors leaves. Too much shade cuts bloom numbers. Crowded old clumps flower less and need dividing, and cutting leaves early starves next year’s corms.
Getting Through Winter
Lucifer is commonly rated hardy in zones 5 to 9,29Missouri Botanical Garden. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ though some nurseries rate it only to zone 6.30Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer In zone 5, a protected spot and winter mulch improve survival.31Missouri Botanical Garden. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ In zone 4 or colder, lift the corms each fall.32GardenDesign.com. Crocosmia – How to Grow and Care for Montbretia – Garden Design
To find your zone, look it up by zip code on a USDA zone map. Poorly drained winter soil kills corms even in mild zones. If you’re unsure, lift a few corms as insurance.
After the first frost, cut foliage to about 2 inches.33Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer Dig the corms carefully, store them in a cool, dry place much as you would gladiolus,34Missouri Botanical Garden. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and replant in spring.35GardenDesign.com. Crocosmia – How to Grow and Care for Montbretia – Garden Design Let the corms dry for a few days before storing them. Paper bags or boxes with dry peat or sawdust work well. Check them monthly and discard any that are soft or moldy. Keep them cool but above freezing.
Dividing Crowded Clumps
Corms multiply quickly, stacking in strings that make clumps crowded.36Homes and Gardens. Now is the time to divide your crocosmia plants – here is why you must and how to do it properly Signs it’s time to divide include fewer flowers than in earlier years and a dense mass of leaves with a bare center. That usually happens every few years once clumps thicken.
Divide in early spring just as new shoots begin to show, when the corms are awake and will root quickly after being moved. Choose a day when the soil is workable but not soggy, since digging wet soil compacts it and tears the corm strings. Lift the clump and gently pull the strings apart.37BBC Gardeners World Magazine. How to grow crocosmias Replant the top two corms of each string; they are newest and most vigorous.38BBC Gardeners World Magazine. How to grow crocosmias Small cormlets also form and can be twisted off and replanted.39Bluestone Perennials. Crocosmia Lucifer Older lower corms in a string can be discarded. Spread the extras to new sunny spots or pot some for friends, and water replanted divisions as you would new corms. Expect a lighter flower show the first summer after dividing, because the replanted corms spend the season rebuilding rather than blooming heavily.
Will It Take Over the Garden
Old common montbretia types can spread aggressively, especially in mild, moist climates.40Gardenia. Crocosmia Without Regret: Varieties That Behave Lucifer is well suited to gardens and is far less aggressive, though it still multiplies and can spread in mild, moist climates.41PBA Solutions. Montbretia Control
When you divide, remove any corms that have wandered outside the bed. If you live in a mild, wet region, check local invasive lists. And avoid dumping spare corms in wild areas.
Pests, Problems and Pet Safety
Crocosmias are generally trouble-free.42National Gardening Association. How to Grow and Care for Crocosmias Spider mites can mar leaves in hot, dry weather but don’t kill the plants.43National Gardening Association. How to Grow and Care for Crocosmias Keeping plants watered in heat helps prevent outbreaks. As relatives of gladiolus, they may get gladiolus thrips.44National Gardening Association. How to Grow and Care for Crocosmias Rust may occasionally show on leaves.45Farmer Bailey Inc.. Crocosmia Growing Guide
Spider mites show up as fine speckling and webbing under the leaves. Spraying leaves with water knocks them back. Rust shows as orange-brown spots, and badly spotted leaves can be removed. Thrips leave silvery streaks and distorted flowers. If you treat pests, avoid insecticide sprays on the flowers hummingbirds feed on.
Crocosmia is mildly toxic to cats and dogs and can cause stomach upset if eaten.46MasterClass. Crocosmia Plant Care Tips: How to Grow Crocosmias Discourage pets from chewing leaves or digging up stored corms.
What to Plant With It and Using It as a Cut Flower
Good partners share its taste for sun, fertile soil, good drainage and moderate moisture.47Gardenia. What to Plant With Crocosmia for Stunning Borders Blue flowers make the scarlet blooms even more dramatic.48Gardenia. What to Plant With Crocosmia for Stunning Borders Daisy flowers soften the sword-like leaves, and grasses add movement.49Gardenia. What to Plant With Crocosmia for Stunning Borders
Cut stems keep opening flowers in the vase.50Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Hortorum Cultus. Post-harvest longevity and ornamental value of cut inflorescences of Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora ‘Lucifer’ depending on flower food and storage conditions Stems kept in bright, warm rooms lasted about 9 days longer than those in dim, cool ones,51Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Hortorum Cultus. Post-harvest longevity and ornamental value of cut inflorescences of Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora ‘Lucifer’ depending on flower food and storage conditions so display them in a bright room rather than a dark corner. Cut when the lowest flowers are just opening, use clean water and change it every few days. Remove faded lower flowers as upper buds open.