Love Hummingbirds? Grow Crocosmia!
Hummingbirds have a weakness for red flowers. And I have a weakness for hummingbirds. So even though red is not my favorite color, I always try to grow a few red flowers in the garden — just for the hummingbirds. Some years it’s salvias and hibiscus. Others I may have fuchsias or geraniums. The only plant with red flowers that’s earned a permanent place in my garden is Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’.
What to Know about Crocosmia
These statuesque perennials are native to South Africa, where they grow wild in moist, grassy areas. The plants have sword-like foliage with vertical pleats, and tubular flowers on wiry, arching stems. There are six species of crocosmia and many cultivated varieties that offer different heights, flower sizes and flower colors.
Like crocus and gladiolus, crocosmia grow from flattened, bulb-like corms. The corms are winter hardy in zones 7-11, and most varieties are also hardy in zone 6. Bright red ‘Lucifer’ is the only cultivar that can survive zone 5 winters. Other crocosmia cultivars that are popular with home gardeners include ‘Emberglow’, ‘Emily McKenzie’, ‘George Davison’ and ‘Solfatare’.
Where to Plant Crocosmia
Crocosmia’s brilliant red flowers add midsummer excitement to mixed perennial borders. And even when the plants are not in bloom, their stiffly upright foliage adds textural interest. Crocosmia is a particularly good companion for ornamental grasses and daylilies. Tight on space? Plant the corms in pots for a burst of late summer color that can be added to beds, borders or larger containers.
How to Plant Crocosmia
It’s important to plant the corms in well-drained soil. Though crocosmia grow best when they receive consistent moisture, they dislike heavy soil and will not tolerate soggy conditions.
If you garden in a relatively cold part of the country, plant your crocosmia in a spot that’s warm and in full sun. In moderate climates, it’s best to plant the corms 4-5” deep. In colder zones, planting them an inch or two deeper will provide some additional insulation.
Caring for Crocosmia
In northern areas, it can take a couple years for crocosmia to get well established. Once they do, most cultivars, including ‘Lucifer’, develop into fairly large clumps. There are a few species of crocosmia that are considered invasive, so if you garden in the deep south or Northwest, only plant named cultivars.
Hummingbirds love the tubular flowers of crocosmia, especially when they’re red. Fortunately, deer and rodents usually leave these plans alone. They are also rarely troubled by insect pests or disease.
When the flowers finish blooming, snip off the flower stalks at ground level and allow the leaves to continue growing. The foliage will die back naturally in the fall. When growth resumes in the spring, cut the dead leaves back to a height of 4 to 5”.
Dividing Crocosmia
When crocosmia is growing vigorously, the corms can multiply quite rapidly. If the plants are robust, yet flower production decreases, it’s probably due to overcrowding. As the corms multiply, they also push their way up toward the soil surface and this can cause the stems to get floppy. Dividing the clumps every 3 to 4 years and replanting the corms at the proper depth, restores vigor and improves flower production.
The best time to divide crocosmia corms is fall. Start by cutting back the leaves to 5”, then dig up and pry apart the clump, taking care not to break off the young shoots. Replant smaller clumps, making sure to set the corms at a depth of 5 to 6”.
Learn more about crocosmia HERE and shop for Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ HERE.
Thank you ,have been looking for something of this kind. Love the birds, and like keeps the insects away
What is the best month to plant the Crocosmia plant
Hi Daphne – Plant crocosmia corms in spring, after the frost-free date for your location (at about the same time you plant vegetables). You can purchase the bulbs from us in spring — they are available for pre-order starting in January and usually available through early June. If you find potted plants at a nursery, you can plant them anytime during the growing season.
Thank you so much for all your information I went and bought some bulbs wish me luck
Hi Linda – That’s great. Crocosmia are easy to grow. Just give them a sunny spot in well-drained soil. If the corms are reliably hardy in your area (zone 4b or warmer) you can expect to get more flowers the second year.
How do I fertilize them?
Hi Pamela – fertilize as you would any other perennial. Mix some all-purpose granular fertilizer into the soil when planting. Then in future years, either sprinkle some of the same fertilizer on the soil surface in spring or cover the soil where they are growing with 2-3″ of compost.
Hi!! Are they deer resistant? Rabbit? Groundhog? I have them all. 😩
Hi Jennifer – Rutgers University offers a handy tool that rates the deer resistance (based on their research) of most ornamental plants. You can find it HERE. They have found crocosmia are rarely bothered by deer. Rodents also tend to ignore them.
I live in Arizona and I love hummingbirds! I only see them in my backyard when the Aloe Vera flowers bloom. Will this plant (Crocosmia) thrive in this desert heat?
Hi Tess – I don’t know how Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ will do in Arizona. It grows in the high desert, but it may be too hot where you are. The bulbs are inexpensive, so why not give it a try? If possible, the plant should get 6 hours of sun, but be shielded from the hottest afternoon sun. If you think of it, post your results here as I’m sure others would like to know how it does for you.
We live in Ohio, and have a lot of clay. Will they do well? I ask because you mentioned well drained, but sometimes clay will hold water
Hi John – The soil in my garden is quite heavy and caladiums grow pretty well for me. Just stay away from soggy areas. Plants that grow from bulbs are prone to rot during the winter if they are too wet. Good luck!
Here in East Central Ga. they grow quite well with no care whatsoever. They spread fast and so I grow them in pots. After flowering I simply put the pots out of sight; let the foliage die down; and pull back out in early Spring.
Hi Albert – thank you for sharing your experience with crocosmia. It’s so helpful to get insights from other gardeners.
Hi I live near Glasgow in Scotland. I have had crocosmia in garden for number of years now but this year they’re not doing well. We had shortage of rain from April to June n wonder if this caused them to go brown.
Hello to you in Scotland – Crocosmia are native to South Africa and though these plants are relatively drought tolerant, when it’s dry at the wrong time of year, it can cause the leaves to brown. I would dig up one clump and see how the corms look. If firm, they are probably fine and are likely to grow again next year. Good luck!
Can I re-plant crocosmia corms immediately after dividing?
I live in the Olympic Penninsula in Washington State, zone 8B; 15-20 degree min. though it rarely gets that cold here. Our climate is temperate with only 14 inches of rain per year. My gardening opportunities are sporadic so if I could dig them up, divide them and replant all in the same day, that would be a big help.
Thank you for any insights.
Mel
Hi Mel – Yes, just dig, divide and replant your crocosmia. I have the same job on my to-do list for this weekend!
Thanks for the thorough & timely information. Our hummingbirds will love the plants I purchased from the nursery after seeing a beautiful displayin the beautiful town of Elora, Ontario. Hope to have a few blooms next year.
I live in the West of England where we are due to start cold frosty and maybe snowy weather. I have been given some crocosmia plants which were dug up a couple of weeks ago, when should I replant them or how should I store them please?
Hi Hazel, Where I live it can get down to -20°F in the winter. The cultivar ‘Lucifer’ is the only crocosmia that can be grown as a perennial. Last weekend I was cutting back the garden and decided to dig up and move some of the crocosmia (we have already had several hard frosts). I think the bulbs will be just fine. For most hardy bulbs, the safest place to be is in the ground. That way you don’t need to worry about them drying out during the winter months. So if it were me, I would plant them now. Good luck!
Thanks for all the info on crocosmia! I never heard the name before. I have got to defininately get some. Are they expensive? I’m going to buy anyway.
Hi – Crocosmia bulbs are quite inexpensive. And they are perennials, so a good investment. Had to laugh when you answered your own question and said you would order anyway. Spoken like a true gardener.
Hummingbird magnets and carefree once they are established (red cultivar, zone 5)).
Planted Lucifer by accident two years ago. Finally bloomed this year. Did not know what they were. Put out hummingbird feeders and have had Hummingbirds ever since. I am soooooo happy! Will divide in fall. BEST ACCIDENT EVER!!!!
Hi Rachel – Glad to hear your crocosmia has taken hold and is attracting hummingbirds. Once established, they are vigorous plants and flower best when they are divided every couple years.
Just hope you don’t have deer, they love it. ;(
Hi George – Rutgers University, which has done lots of testing for deer damage, rates crocosmia as seldom severely damaged. But deer will eat almost any plant if they are hungry enough. Here is a link to the Rutgers resource: Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance.
Someone gave me seeds and said they were Crocosmia, is this possible?
Hi Kathrine – I have never grown crocosmia from seed, but the plants do produce lots of seed pods and I’m sure it’s possible. With plants that grow from bulbs, it usually takes a couple years longer to get a flower from a seed than from a bulb. If you want to try it, I’d plant the seeds in a little nursery bed where the plants can bulk up for a year or more and won’t get lost.
hi, how far apart do I plant each bulb? I noticed in most pics online they grow in a clump but you warned against overcrowding. So how far apart should they be spaced out?
Hi Charles – We recommend planting in groups of 5 or more, spacing the corms about 3″ apart. It’s hard to know ahead of time how vigorously they will grow in your location. You may wind up needing to divide them after a few years, but they look much better growing in clumps — as they do naturally.
I live in Olympic peninsula and have a lot of Crocosmia. I’ve heard it is invasive. At the moment the blanks are in 2 edged beds at the foundation. I’d like to move some next/above a retaining wall. Should I put them in pots so they don’t take over?
Hi Terri – Plants that are perfectly tame in some areas can be thugs in others. I have also found that some plants can be well behaved for years and then quite suddenly break out and become invasive. There are also quite a few different varieties of crocosmia, and some are more vigorous than others. If you are concerned about this plant creating problems, growing it in containers is a good idea. I grow mint in fabric pots to keep it under control. I also find tarragon to be an aggressive spreader, so I sunk a 5-gallon pot with the bottom cut out into my herb garden and grow the tarragon in that.