Chasmanthe Growing Information

Crocosmia's Up and Coming Cousins

Crocosmia are popular with warm weather gardeners and chasmanthe varieties are following close behind. Another architecturally bold South African plant, chasmanthe contribute attractive spiky racemes of tubular flowers in sunny yellow and orange to the early season garden. These are excellent additions to the herbaceous or perennial border, with lance shaped leaves, a strong profile and a forgiving nature.

If hummingbirds are found in your area, plant chasmanthe. Your hummingbirds will delight in their newly found nectar source, you'll delight in watching the activities of these winged jewels.

Outdoor Beds

1.  Find a location where the soil drains well. If there are still water puddles 5-6 hours after a hard rain, scout out another site. Or amend the soil with the addition of organic material to raise the level 2-3 inches to improve the drainage. Peat moss, compost, ground bark or decomposed manure all work well and are widely available.

2.  Site your chasmanthe where they will get good to moderate light - full sun to partial shade is ideal.

3.  Dig holes and plant the bulbs, or rather, corms, 2" deep and 6" apart. The corms are rounded and a little flattened, like those of gladiolus, with small points on the top. Place in the planting holes with the points facing up.

4.  After planting, water your corms well, thoroughly soaking the area. Roots will form in the autumn. Leaves and flowers will develop in the late spring to early summer. 

5.  When in bloom feel free to cut flowers for bouquets. This will not hurt the plants.

6.  After blooming has finished for the season leave the foliage in place; don't cut it off. The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next year's show. Water as needed keeping in mind that these plants prefer a bit more moisture than many South African natives.

7.  By late summer the leaves may yellow and die back. The foliage may be removed at this point. Your bulbs will rest for a few months before beginning the next growing cycle.

Note: Chasmanthe like to remain undisturbed in the same spot for years and will grow into large clumps. The clumps can be divided every 4 to 5 years, making this an easy plant to propagate. Newly planted corms may take a year to establish before blooming.

Pots, Tubs & Urns

Chasmanthe perform best in sites where they can remain undisturbed for years. Given this preference, we don't recommend growing Chasmanthe in containers.