I just ordered some Crocosmias for spring delivery. I wanted to plant them behind Oriental Poppies to hide the dead poppies in mid season.
Has anyone done that?
Are there any other companion plants for Crocosmias?

Jo Ann, which variety of Crocosmia did you order?

As usual I found a large number of varieties on The Lily Garden.
I chose some that are shorter and none that are over 4 feet
Eva



Adriana



Gold Rush





Sarona





Star of the East


I have Lucifer and will plant one of the new yellowish ones with it.

They spread a lot, Jo Ann, so figure that into your plantings.

I think there are #5 bulbs eacxh variety.
I was surprised at how few varieties many garden sites sold.
I just checked Brent and Becky. Should have looked there first. Better prices too.

I have never had Crocosmia spread a lot. I think that depends on a lot of factors. Lucifer is the only one I can leave in the ground. All others, if I don't lift the corms, don't come back.

Ohhhh Boy. I didnt want annuals.
Lily Garden says zone 5-9 hope they are right.

Good luck Jo Ann, let us know how it goes.

Just a bit about my experience with crocs from TLG.

I ordered Vera Cruz (very tall, huge corms) and Alborado (very short, substantially smaller corms) from the Lily Garden this past spring. I had to hold them a few weeks before planting because my clay soil was unworkable. They were very slow to emerge (I know this is subjective and I was getting impatient). But they did grow. Vera Cruz is just now budding out; I think they will bloom earlier next year. Alborado... I don't think they will bloom this year and I don't feel stalks forming in them. I'll see what happens next year.

On her website Judith says that a good mulch will add 2 zones to the stated hardiness zone. For me, my biggest concern is the clay soil plus the amount of rain we get in the winter. I think I might lift one corm of each as "insurance". I have lost glads, a relative, due to too much rain over the winter.

I have clay soil here, and your information is good Pard. The late start sounds reasonable for the crocs. My only experiance is with Lucifer and they were here when we bought the house. I moved them and they continue to do well.
I just thought I would try some other varieties. I will need the luck.
Winter here is bitter cold and the ground freezes until April.
I will keep everyone informed.

Try laying a bag of leaves (no matter how small the crocosmia areas are) over each planting and take photos so you can remember to protect those spots every year. Even 1/4 sized bags of mulch would do it. Remember to close/tie the bag so it won't get snow or rain and then remember to remove any protection come spring.

Googled companion plants
There are tons of examples.
Agastache Ava and Apache Sunset with Crocosmia Star of the East

ge1836 said:Ohhhh Boy. I didnt want annuals.
Lily Garden says zone 5-9 hope they are right.

Sorry they say that because I have brought them through the years thinking that they were hardy and they are not. Only Lucifer has been consistently hardy. Plus it takes them along time to start blooming because they hate to be disturb and until they get really established before they bloom.

That has been my experience. I have not purchased any in 8 yrs because of not having luck with the hardy claims.

I have Lucifer planted in a center round garden area surrounded with grass. I added Japanese Iris, dayliles, and in front to hide every thing when not in bloom a peony bush. I throw some Zinna , Cosmo, and Alyssum seeds in the area in May. I plant the seeds close to the daylilies and peony and the flowers come up between them and it looks like the daylilies and peony are blooming.

Cinta, Thanks for your information. I will give them a try, knowing there wont be much of a bang for my buck for a few years.

Jo Ann,

you could plant them in a pot and then just bring the pot in for the winter

The bagged mulch or leaves sound like a good approach for the first year. Don't you get a hefty snow cover Jo Ann. A pile of shredded leaves keep things pretty dry overwinter here as well.

JoAnne I hate to be negative and even state absolutes. I was speaking from my experience and when they did not bloom I did a search and it said they did not like to be moved and that it takes them a year or two to bloom.

When you get them can you plant them somewhere close to the house to give them a little more protect them. Close to the house sometime can bring you up a zone. I plant a lot of things that are marginal on the fireplace chimney wall. I can grow some zone 7 and 8 plants there but last winter fixed that fix. That winter was too bad.

I have several varieties and have never to my knowledge suffered a loss. Two of them did take a year off when I disturbed them very late in the season, but they're still on my easiest to grow list. I dump compost on them each year at bud-set, and then mound with leaves and compost after they're frost-killed. The only time they seem to appreciate a little extra TLC is during bloom -then I'll give them extra water.

I used to give compost at emergence, but then I ended up with floppy plants -it's much better to do it after they've quit growing up. I sure do wish either one of those companies carried Walberton Yellow...I'd definitely buy more! Compact, bloom-filled clumps even in the dry dappled shade of a dogwood.


This clump was disturbed during bloom last year and I didn't notice much difference this year.

Sorry, Jo Ann, I forgot to add that I like my crocosmias with phlox and agastache. My one Oriental poppy is long gone by the time the crocosmias get going.

@chelle http://www.plantdelights.com/C...