Crocosmia Lucifer
Bright star
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in Plants
I bought and planted a Crocosmia Lucifer last year. I'm not convinced mine is a Lucifer even though it said so on the plant pot. Whilst walking round the village and peering into other people's gardens (as we do????) I can see many have Lucifer which is a much deeper red than mine.
I just wondered if someone in the know could say wether mine is or not.
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My lucifer is about four to five feet tall, much taller than any of my others, and very obviously bright red.
Yours looks a bit orangey to me.
There are many varieties of crocosmia but Lucifer is by far the commonest, so that is probably what you have. Lucifer tends to start flowering rather earlier than other varieties, perhaps late June, which is a clue.
Looks too orange for lucifer
I agree. Too orangey for Lucifer.
Ah well, it's still a lovely plant and just started to come into flower. Can anybody recommend where I can get a proper red Lucifer from? Thanks for the replies?
No - common montbretia is yellower and I'd say shorter from that picture. This looks like a hybrid of lucifer and something else. 'Real' lucifer is widely available - buy it now while it's in flower so you can be sure
Lucifer is the most red, not sure re most common. Would have thought the old orange job we used to call Montbretia was still the most common.
Seed raised, they all creep back towards orange.
The labeling as Lucifer (which it isn't) is probably down to ignorance
In the sticks near Peterborough
I've had the more common shorter one, this one has the height of a Lucifer but not the colour. Does the Lucifer come true from seed? The reason I ask, is that the gardens I pass on my walk have the proper Lucifers overhanging their walls. I could probably "aquire" some seeds.?
Last edited: 28 July 2017 19:00:31
no, Lucifer doesn't come true from seed but some are fairly close.
In the sticks near Peterborough
That's the one I meant - it's a 'schedule 9' plant. It grows to about 2 feet tall and has spread invasively all over Cornwall, and doubtless elsewhere.
Lucifer is much taller - twice the height at least, as plant pauper said. and it clumps but doesn't spread nearly as far or as fast. There are loads of hybrids from pale yellow to deep red. Lucifer is one of the most commonly sold hybrids. I have half a dozen different types in my garden, including Lucifer, Cornish Copper, Emily Mckenzie and George Davison. They are lovely plants if you want hot colours at this time of year and your garden isn't sheltered enough for daisies