Crocosmia 'Lucifer' (Lucifer Crocosmia, Lucifer Falling Stars)
Botanical Information
| Family | Iridaceae |
| Genus | Crocosmia |
| Cultivar | 'Lucifer' |
| Category | Bulbs, Perennials |
| Origin | Developed by Alan Bloom of Bressingham Gardens fame in the 1960’s. Bloom experienced losses in his collection of Crocosmia in the severe winter of 1963 and consequently worked on developing this most hardy of cultivars. Lucifer combines the hardiness, vigour and bold foliage of C.paniculata crossed with the flower quality of C. masoniorum. |
| Pronunciation |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 7b - 8a |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | 7 |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H5 |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | -12 - (-9) |
| Temperature (°F) | 5 - 15 |
| Height | 1 - 2.5m |
| Spread | 0.1 - 0.5 m |
| Growth | Fast |
| Flowering Period | July, August |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | Clump forming cormous perennial. |
| ID Characteristic | Erect mid-green pleated leaves with intermittent red flowers with 1 m stems |
| Landscape | Combine with Euphorbia sikkimensis. |
| Propagation | Division of corms in early spring. |
| Cultivation | Prefers free draining soils in full sun and will not tolerate wet or heavy soils. Divide every 5 years by digging after flowering or when the foliage has died back, alternatively plants can also be divided 'green' in the spring before flowering. Lift clumps with adequate amounts of soil, ensuring that the roots and corms are not damaged. The corms are found in chains, do not separate individual corms as this will delay flowering, untangle the chains, removing, dead or woody foliage and replant to a depth of 10 cm on a 10 cm spacing and water in. |
| Pests | Red spider mites. |
| Notable Specimens | The A. M. Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. Tresco Abbey Gardens, Scilly Isles, Tresco, Cornwall, England. |
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