Alberto raises many interesting topics! Combine the warning below with his comments on toughening up Rhodophiala montana with a few generations in cultivation (raising them from seed), and we have a roadmap for getting more Crocosmia into our colder climate gardens. Someone should start growing them from seed. You will probably have to treat them the way I treat almost-hardy crinums here in Indiana: Start the seed in pots, grow for a few years under protection (at least in winter), and only then move the seedling plants out into the garden beds. Only one Crocosmia has persisted in my garden here: one of the two distinct clones that I received as 'Lucifer'. the one with larger flowers proved to be winter-tender after 3 or 4 years here. The second clone, with more but smaller flowers, has survived on down through the years, both planted in 1999. They went directly into the garden upon receipt. Both had the same brilliant red color in their flowers. Other Crocosmia tried here (their names are forgotten now) survived up to a couple years before disappearing, but all others are gone save this last 'Lucifer'. It's time folks in the Midwest took it upon themselves to breed hardier Crocosmia hybrids. Who else will do it? Having retired from the plant business, I'm not going to dig and ship samples of this hardy plant. But feel free to stop by my place for a visit; maybe I'll let you dig a piece of it for your garden. Jim Shields At 05:26 PM 6/26/2011 +0000, Alberto wrote: >In any case, keep your newly introduced plants away from your other ones. >Several Crocosmia cultivars are heavily virused that is most evident in >the flowers. You will not want to introduce into your valuable collections >a virus that affects irids ....... ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. ++1-317-867-3344