Dazzle with crocosmia!

Brighten any sunny spot! Crocosmia grows best in full sun but can tolerate part shade and actually prefers it in the South. In too much shade, though, taller ones may lean, but plants won’t need staking, otherwise. In USDA cold zones 5 and 6, planting in a protected site, providing a thick layer of mulch and ensuring good drainage will improve survival.

In zones 5 or colder, treat the less hardy cultivars as annuals or dig and store them after the first frost. Use a garden fork to carefully remove plants from the ground, cut the foliage back to 1 in. and gently brush off excess soil. Lay the corms out at room temperature for 2 weeks. Then put only the fresh ones in a mesh bag with peat moss and keep in a cool spot, between 35 to 40 degrees F, until spring.

Crocosmia

Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora

Type Perennial

Blooms Red, orange and yellow flowers from midsummer to fall

Light Full sun

Soil Moist, well-drained

Size 12 to 48 in. tall, 6 to 18 in. wide

Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 9

Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1