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| Category: Bulb/Tuber/Rhizome etc. |
| Family: Iridaceae (Irises) |
| Origin: South Africa (Africa) |
| Flower Color: Red |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Parentage: (C. masonorum x C. panniculata) |
| Height: 3-4 feet |
| Width: 1-2 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Irrigation: Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: < 0 °F |
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Crocosmia 'Lucifer' (Red Crocosmia) - The pleated strap-like leaves produced by this South African deciduous corm are held erect to 3-4 feet tall. In mid summer the sprays of large flaming red flowers rise above the foliage. Plant in full sun along the coast and part shade inland. Once established it does not need irrigation. It is hardy to -10°F - one of the hardiest and tallest of the Crocosmia hybrids. The parent species of this hybrid, and all other species of Crocosmia, come moist grasslands in South Africa. This hybrid created by British gardener Alan Bloom at his Bressingham Nurseries in 1979, is the result of, depending on one's information source, a complex cross between Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora 'Jackanapes' (itself a hybrid between Crocosmia aurea and C. pottsii) and Crocosmia paniculata (a plant previously known as Curtonus paniculatus) or a more simple hybrid between Crocosmia masoniorum and C. paniculata. The Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora hybrids are often referred to as Montbretia, a name commemorating Antoine Francois Ernest Conquebert de Montbret, a botanist who accompanied Napoleon during his invasion of Egypt in 1798, but this hybrid with added parentage is sometimes put in a group referred to as the "maspans" for their masoniorum and paniculata parentage. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'krokos' meaning "saffron" and 'osme' meaning "smell" from the act of dipping the dry flowers releasing an aromas like saffron. We have grown this great hybrid at San Marcos Growers since 1991.
This description of Crocosmia 'Lucifer' is based on our research and our observations of this plant growing in the nursery, in our own garden and in other gardens. We would appreciate getting feedback of any kind from those who have any additional information about this plant, particularly if they disagree with what we have written.
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