Crocosmia is a grassy bulbous plant from the Kasatikov family. It forms dense green thickets, over which bright upright or drooping inflorescences bloom. The name means "saffron aroma", that is how dried flowers smell. The plant is also known by the names montbrecia, tritonia, or Japanese gladiolus. Crocosmia is home to parts of South Africa. Its slender thickets perfectly complement the flower arrangement in the garden, and cut inflorescences will stand in a vase for more than two weeks.
Plant description
Crocosmia is a grassy perennial. The length of the plant can vary from 40 cm to 1 m. Its root system consists of corms, which grow in large clusters. Each corm is covered with several layers of mesh membranes. The branched stem is surrounded by a basal fan-like rosette of the xiphoid or linear foliage. The length of bright green leaves is 40-60 cm, they are bent along the central vein or have a corrugated surface.
In branches of a thin, flexible stem dense paniculate inflorescences bloom. They appear in July and remain until the end of September. Each flower has a symmetrical shape of a five-pointed star. The diameter of the open corolla is 3-5 cm. Petals are painted in red, orange or yellow. A bunch of long yellow stamens peeps out from the center. The buds on the peduncle open in turn, from the base to the edge.
In the southern regions on crocosmia time to ripen seeds. They are located in small rounded seed boxes and are colored orange.
Types and varieties of crocosmia
In the genus of crocosmia, there are more than 50 species and several dozen hybrid varieties.
Crocosmia is golden. A plant 50-80 cm tall at the base has a fan-shaped rosette of bright green xiphoid leaves. Flowering begins in July, when tassels with yellow-orange buds open on the stem. Distributed in South Africa, introduced to Europe in the middle of the XIX century.
Crocosmia Massonorum. The plant has a good resistance to frost. The bush consists of a rosette of ribbed bright green leaves and a long, drooping peduncle. On it are densely arranged small yellow-orange flowers.
Crocus Cosmos. It grows in the shaded marshlands of Africa. The foliage is narrower and smoother. On inflorescences there are many small orange flowers.
As a result of the work of breeders, the following highly decorative varieties of montbrecia were born:
- Crocosmia Lucifer - a plant with a high (up to 1.5 m) shoots and erect peduncles, on which bright red buds bloom;
Crocosmia Lucifer - Emily Mackenzie - inflorescences with orange-brown buds bloom on a bush about 60 cm high;
Emily Mackenzie - Red king - large bright red flowers with an orange spot in the center are located on the inflorescences;
Red king - Tangerine queen - bright orange large flowers bloom on a bush up to 1.2 m high;
Tangerine queen - Citronella - the plant is covered with lemon yellow flexible inflorescences;
Citronella - Star of the East - a thermophilic variety with large (10-12 cm in diameter) apricot-orange flowers;
Star of the East - George Davidson - bush with dark green leaves 60-70 cm high and amber inflorescences.
George Davidson
Breeding methods
Crocosmia propagation is carried out by seed and vegetative methods. Seeds are pre-sown on seedlings in order to get a more mature plant by spring. In February, a mixture of peat, turf soil, sand and humus leaf is placed in flat boxes. Seeds should be soaked for a day in warm water, which should be changed 4 times. Sow them to a depth of 3-5 mm. The container is covered with glass and placed in a warm, bright room. After 1-2 weeks, the first shoots appear. Young plants continue to grow at home until early May. Fortified seedlings are transplanted into the open ground when the risk of spring frosts disappears.
A more convenient method of reproduction is the division of corms. Each year, up to six children are formed on the rhizome. Moreover, the maternal bulb remains viable. In autumn, when the foliage is completely dry, the tubers are dug up. In central Russia, they are stored until spring in a warm place where frost does not penetrate. When transplanting, you can divide the large curtain into several parts, but do not plant the corms one by one.
Wintering conditions
Bulbs can safely winter in the ground if in winter the air temperature does not drop below -15 ° C. In more severe winters, the soil is covered with spruce branches, dry leaves and a film. In regions where frosts reach -30 ° C, corms are dug up for the winter. They are freed from the ground and stored in cardboard boxes at a temperature of no more than + 10 ° C.
Excessive moisture in the soil poses a great threat to the roots. In lowlands, so that the plants do not get wet, they are also recommended to be dug up.
Even if crocosmia hibernates in open ground, every 3-4 years, bushes need to be dug up and divided. Without this procedure, the plants will start to grow smaller and worse to bloom.
Care Features
Crocosmia is unpretentious; caring for it in the open field will not be difficult. In mid-April, when the soil temperature reaches + 6 ... + 10 ° C, corms are planted in a sunny place. It should be well protected from drafts. Bulbs should be planted to a depth of 7-10 cm, children 3-5 cm. There should be a distance of 10-12 cm between plants. Before planting, the bulbs are pickled in special preparations or a potassium permanganate solution for 1-3 hours.
In order for the plants to grow and bloom profusely, you need to regularly water the crocosmia. In dry soil, the plant will lose its decorative effect. If summer turned out to be rainy, watering is reduced or stopped altogether. So that the water does not stagnate in the soil and the air penetrates to the roots, you need to periodically loosen the earth.
From early spring, crocosmia needs regular soil fertilization. In April-June three times a month it is fertilized with mullein and nitrogenous top dressing (aqueous solution 1:10). It is recommended to alternate organic with mineral compounds. With the advent of the first buds, nitrogenous fertilizers are excluded. So that the bulbs mature well before frost, wilted flowers must be cut.
Possible difficulties
Crocosmia can suffer from fungal diseases when grown on flooded soils. Transplantation and fungicide treatment will help to escape from rot. Also, flowers can suffer from fusarium. Bulbs become dark, soft and streaked. It is very difficult to cure them, it is better to isolate and destroy the affected plants.
With jaundice (grassiness), the bulbs turn yellow and become very dense. They form many shoots with thin yellow leaves. At the early stage of the disease, heating the bulb to a temperature of + 45 ° C helps to completely recover.
Of the pests that destroy crocosm, one can distinguish a bear and thrips. Etching of the soil and planting material saves from them.
Use in design
Thickets of crocosmia look very decorative. They can be planted in small and large groups on the flower beds, in the middle of the lawn or along the curbs. In the flower garden, the plant looks spectacular in the neighborhood of rudbeckia, echinacea, salvia, and representatives of the Liliaceae family.
Crocosmia long erect peduncles look good in cut. They will stand in a vase for more than two weeks and will gradually open up more and more buds.
