Crocosmia
Crocosmia 'Lucifer' & hybrids
Family Iridaceae
Midsummer needs fire, and Crocosmia delivers it — arching wands strung with blazing red-orange trumpets above fans of sword-shaped foliage. Hummingbirds treat a clump of 'Lucifer' like a filling station, and the cut stems last remarkably long in a vase, opening bud by bud along the arc.
From a handful of spring-planted corms it builds into fiery clumps that return bigger each year, hardy through zone 5 in the case of 'Lucifer', the most vigorous form. Bees visit alongside the hummingbirds. For the hot-colored late-summer border you keep meaning to have, start here.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Fast growth
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing crocosmia? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries crocosmia — Crocosmia lucifer, print Nº 139, “Crocosmia.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what crocosmia actually needs.
Life cyclePerennial zones 5–9, annual elsewhereCrocosmia · Common problems
Common crocosmia problems
Pests
1 problem on file
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Crocosmia · Growing & propagation
Growing crocosmia
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Moderate in growth
Soil- Rich, well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- Light feed in spring
Pruning- Fall cleanup
Plant corms in spring; they multiply into clumps. Mulch in zone 5-6. Divide when crowded (bloom drops off in congested clumps).
Spacing- 6-8 in
How to plant & propagate crocosmia
- Propagate
- Offsets, division, or bulbils
Crocosmia · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Crocosmia · Yearly calendar
The crocosmia year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomPruneBloomAugust
PruneSeptember to November
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Crocosmia · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Crocosmia 'Lucifer' & hybrids
Crocosmia in the garden system
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Hummingbirds, Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What crocosmia is grown for
✓ Commonly eaten
Use- Hummingbirds
- Use
- Hot color
- Use
- Cut flowers
Harvesting & storing crocosmia
Cut for the vase (long-lasting).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Crocosmia · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a crocosmia variety
'Lucifer' (fire-red, hardiest and tallest — the standard); 'Emily McKenzie' (orange); 'George Davison' (yellow)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Crocosmia
Crocosmia 'Lucifer' & hybrids
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Crocosmia 'Lucifer' & hybrids
- Plant family
- Iridaceae
- Growth habit
- Bulb · Tender Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- CROCO
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Crocosmia questions, answered straight.
Is crocosmia safe for kids and pets?
Crocosmia is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest crocosmia?
Cut for the vase (long-lasting).
How do you propagate crocosmia?
Offsets, division, or bulbils.
Elsewhere
Where crocosmia sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily