I have the common ones and Lucifer. I thought Lucifer had died, it hasn't appeared for four years as it was overshadowed by a conifer. The conifer was cut down in the spring and Lucifer has appeared again. No flowers yet but we'll see. I actually find it too red for me so it's not a favourite, it may go once I see the colour again. I don't find the common ones too much of a problem in my garden, I have actually moved it and although I did get a bit of residual growth on the old site it was managable. It's doing Ok in the new site but not too rampant.
I have red and orange ones, don't know the variety but they came with the house. Never had caterpillars. They look marvellous for a fortnight, then you've got the leaves for months on end. I think the only sensible place for them is at the back of a border. They are tall enough for the flowers to be seen to advantage, then you deadhead them and the other plants get a bit taller and start to claim the attention.
I don't have a problem with them spreading, because when they're in flower they draw gasps of admiration from unsuspecting passers-by, who say "I don't suppose you could spare me a bit of that?" and I yank them out of the ground there and then and hand them over.
I have lucifer. I have never seen the leaves go brown until really late season when they need chopping. I dont water, and they are spreading quite quickly.
I have never seen them damaged by pests either.
They are in a bed that I cant somehow be happy with, and I’m not particularly fond of them. Other people seem to like them given though, so that’s good.
I have Lucifer and no problems with it though it does choose to grow where it wants, mainly in very dry areas. No problems with slugs (they're all hiding in the day lillies). I also have Mistral which is about half the height of Lucifer, similar in height to common orange montbretia. Again it is growing in a dry area along with low growing pinks. It is a much more refined crocosmia and I love it.
I've still got quite a few Emily McKenzie's growing and about to flower... after pulling up most of my crocosmia because of the yearly snail and caterpillar onslaught...but they are a lovely plant when they are in flower, so I was wondering how well they would do in pots if I transferred them from the ground for next year.
I love crocosmia! I have no idea how it arrived in my garden but it has seeded in several pots, and stands up to wind and rain extremely well. Our slugs and snails have given it a pass, too busy eating my lupins and veg...
Lucifer got monstrously tall for me, spread too much, and after flowering the foliage started looking dismal soon. This was on largely clay soil that tended to get very dry over summer (East Anglia; who knows what the climate is going to be now and in the future, as this summer has seen hot spells and wet spells and a lot of wind). It occupied a lot of space, was pretty rampant, and didn't combine particularly well with anything else, so out it went. I kept it around in big pots for two years, but did not derive a lot of joy from that either. It's an easy grower, I'll give it that. It grows from any bit of corm broken off.
that's really interesting that so many of you say that they are slug and snail magnets...I've never seen any slug or snail damage on mine and the leaves stay green until autumn. Maybe because I've planted them next to hostas and the slugs prefer these. Mine grow in a shady dry border and are thriving, I love them as not much else would thrive in those conditions (apart from my hydrangea Annabel).
Ours are always slug and snail free, they give us a good display as the pic I posted earlier, wouldn't dream of getting rid of them, we have a cottage garden flower bed we believe that helps to show them off.
I like them too. Mine are all at the back against walls. Nothing eats them,and the leaves dont go brown till Sept/Oct. No idea what cultivar as they came with the house.
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I don't have a problem with them spreading, because when they're in flower they draw gasps of admiration from unsuspecting passers-by, who say "I don't suppose you could spare me a bit of that?" and I yank them out of the ground there and then and hand them over.