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Not Crocosmia!

GlockenblumeGlockenblume Posts: 10
in Plants
I watched an episode of Gardeners World last autumn in which Monty was talking about Crocosmia. I recognised the plants as Montbretia which I had in my last home some 14 years ago and have never grown in my present garden.
Monty explained that this was another genus that was renamed in the big name change and it was indeed the same plant!
I decided there and then to buy some bulbs/corms online.
I was given a delivery date of 6 weeks, which I thought was a long time and wondered
( tongue in cheek) whether they were coming from China!
In the event, when they arrived they were from China!
The bulbs were tiny and I didn't recognise them but I duly planted all 25 of them into individual pots and waited.
A few weeks ago the first shoots started to appear but they were not the long thin grass-like leaves that I recognise as being crocosmia!.
I have attached photographs of them and hope that somebody might recognise them as I have no idea what they are!

Posts

  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,308
    edited May 2019
    Your right they are not.
    They look a bit Arum like. Arum maculatum.
    The second photo right hand side pot with the label in is what makes me think so.

    We have the pictum one here, they put up single leaves then later on the more advanced bulb like the label pot of yours.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 6,779
    Definitely not! Most stuff from China is never what is says it is and you never know what you might be introducing... I would bin them. Buy from a reputable source, ideally a specialist bulb supplier like Peter Nyssen, Farmer Gracy, Avon Bulbs or even Crocus and the like. Lots of good online suppliers. Apart from the fact they are not crocosmia, better to buy a named variety like Lucifer, Emily Mackensie, George Davidson etc., according to you colour preference, as some of the varieties are pretty invasive.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 21,049
    edited May 2019

    Not crocosmias, but if you are curious grow them on and see what happens!

    An old gardener once told me that montbretia is the wild sort with downward facing orange flowers and crocosmia are the improved by breeding ones with upward facing flowers that can come in different shades of red, orange and yellow.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,800
    Trecanna have a lovely selection of crocosmia
    http://www.trecanna.com/search.asp?letter=c
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • LynLyn Posts: 21,413
    For the the sake of ecology anything unknown coming from China should be composted.
    some people are working hard to protect native plant species,  there’s no telling what you may introduce by keeping them. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • GlockenblumeGlockenblume Posts: 10
    Some months on I have let these plants grow, albeit in pots to avoid any possible spreading in the soil!.
    They have sent 2 or 3 shoots up the same and have started to produce small "bulbils" on the lower stem.
    This leads me to the conclusion that they are Chinese yams  (DIOSCOREA) but I'm not sure which species.

    If I have come to the right conclusion I will definitely not sow them outside as they can be invasive!. Probably they will get incinerated!
  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    If I thought that a plant might damage the environment in some way, I would burn it to be certain it was destroyed along with any nasties it had.
  • B3B3 Posts: 24,505
    Ebay sinensis
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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