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Crocosmia aurea

Falling Stars

Family IridaceaeGenus Crocosmia

Star-shaped orange flowers with narrow pointed petals and protruding stamens, on branching stems
FlowerAndrew MassynPublic domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
tuberous geophytePlants of the World Online
Flower
Bright orange, redWikipedia
Native range
Angola, Burundi, Cape Provinces, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Eswatini and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Crocosmia comes from the Greek for "saffron" and "smell", because the dried leaves give off a strong saffron-like smell in hot water. Aurea, "golden", refers to the bright flowers. Wikipedia: Crocosmia aurea

Two sources report 6 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

93% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Crocosmia p. 34Public domain
Show the original text
Crocosmia (Iridaceae). C. aurea germ.70L(93%) and 70D(56%) (2nd Ed.). These were unchanged after DS 1 y, but after 2 y they dropped to 15% and 14%.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Crocosmia p. 34. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

56% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Crocosmia p. 34Public domain
Show the original text
Crocosmia (Iridaceae). C. aurea germ.70L(93%) and 70D(56%) (2nd Ed.). These were unchanged after DS 1 y, but after 2 y they dropped to 15% and 14%.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Crocosmia p. 34. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    10 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 28 days.

56% germination in 14–28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Crocosmia p. 127Public domain
Show the original text
Crocosmia (lridaceae). C. aurea germ. 70L(93% in 2-4 w), 70D(56% in 2-4 w)-40-70D(10%), 70D GA-3(25% in 3rd w), 40(20%)-70(43% in 1-9 w), and 12% in October from seed placed outdoors in early September. The GA-3 treatment led to much immediate rotting. Germination is hypogeal and the leaf develops rapidly. The increased germination in 70L relative to 70D may be just a temperature effect as explained in Chapter 11. Seeds DS 3 m at 70 germ. the same as fresh seed. Seeds placed outdoors in November all died in our winter temperatures of zero to -10 although the parent plant was hardy.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Crocosmia p. 127. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around November 3, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    20 germinated in this phase.

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 63 days.

43% germination in 7–63 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Crocosmia p. 127Public domain
Show the original text
Crocosmia (lridaceae). C. aurea germ. 70L(93% in 2-4 w), 70D(56% in 2-4 w)-40-70D(10%), 70D GA-3(25% in 3rd w), 40(20%)-70(43% in 1-9 w), and 12% in October from seed placed outdoors in early September. The GA-3 treatment led to much immediate rotting. Germination is hypogeal and the leaf develops rapidly. The increased germination in 70L relative to 70D may be just a temperature effect as explained in Chapter 11. Seeds DS 3 m at 70 germ. the same as fresh seed. Seeds placed outdoors in November all died in our winter temperatures of zero to -10 although the parent plant was hardy.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Crocosmia p. 127. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 5

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

25% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Crocosmia p. 127Public domain
Show the original text
Crocosmia (lridaceae). C. aurea germ. 70L(93% in 2-4 w), 70D(56% in 2-4 w)-40-70D(10%), 70D GA-3(25% in 3rd w), 40(20%)-70(43% in 1-9 w), and 12% in October from seed placed outdoors in early September. The GA-3 treatment led to much immediate rotting. Germination is hypogeal and the leaf develops rapidly. The increased germination in 70L relative to 70D may be just a temperature effect as explained in Chapter 11. Seeds DS 3 m at 70 germ. the same as fresh seed. Seeds placed outdoors in November all died in our winter temperatures of zero to -10 although the parent plant was hardy.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Crocosmia p. 127. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 6

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Sow around September 2027 — a date the source gives, not one counted back from a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 2026.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Sown outdoors in early September; up in October.

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 30 days to germinate.

12% germination in 30 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Crocosmia p. 127Public domain
Show the original text
Crocosmia (lridaceae). C. aurea germ. 70L(93% in 2-4 w), 70D(56% in 2-4 w)-40-70D(10%), 70D GA-3(25% in 3rd w), 40(20%)-70(43% in 1-9 w), and 12% in October from seed placed outdoors in early September. The GA-3 treatment led to much immediate rotting. Germination is hypogeal and the leaf develops rapidly. The increased germination in 70L relative to 70D may be just a temperature effect as explained in Chapter 11. Seeds DS 3 m at 70 germ. the same as fresh seed. Seeds placed outdoors in November all died in our winter temperatures of zero to -10 although the parent plant was hardy.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Crocosmia p. 127. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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