Posted on by susurrus

Crocosmia masoniorum ‘Rowallane Yellow’ AGM

Crocosmia with rich yellow flowerss

Many of the plants that most catch my eye have something majestic about them. In this case it’s the rich yellow flowers held horizontally along single-sided stems that taper down in a showy arc. Each individual floret is unmistakably a lily with its stamens and stigmas flung out in invocation. Buds tier beneath, patiently await their turn in the spotlight. 

Yellow flowers with prominent stamens atop neat buds on arching stems

As the name indicates, this large flowered variety is an Irish selection from the National Trust’s Rowallane Garden. There is also a ‘Rowallane Orange’, although I’ve yet to see it.

The Royal Horticultural Society must like Crocosmia masoniorum ‘Rowallane Yellow’ too as they have awarded it their AGM (Award of Garden Merit). Suppliers caution that this selection needs full sun to flower well, so bear that in mind unless you have a hankering for a clump of pleated green leaves.

Speaking of leaves, I’ve spent some time searching for the name of the plant with the variegated leaves topped with tiny flower clusters that provides such a lovely contrast to the crocosmia, in sure expectation that someone will ask me what it is. I’d have said the name is on the tip of my tongue, were it not for strong evidence that it isn’t. If anyone can put me out of my misery by identifying it or even giving me a nudge in the right direction, I’d be grateful. And while we’re on the (sometimes vexed) subject of names, you may be more familiar with crocosmia as montbretia.

It’s noteworthy that the fiery red Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, the most widely grown of all crocosmias, has masoniorum heritage, being the best of several crosses made by Alan Bloom and Percy Piper between Crocosmia masoniorum and Crocosmia paniculata in 1963. It’s hard to beat son Adrian Bloom’s description of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ – “it cuts such a dash…”, so I’ll join him by asserting that Crocosmia ‘Rowallane Yellow’ cuts a dash too. They’d make a handsome couple.

I’m linking to Cee’s Flower of the Day. Her picture today is of the true flower buds in the centre of the showy Pontsettia bracts we tend to think of as flowers. Thanks for hosting Cee!

24 Replies to “Crocosmia masoniorum ‘Rowallane Yellow’ AGM”

  3. You wrote about the Crocosmia ‘Lucifer” before, didn’t you? Magnificent flowers! Especially in this dreary winter weather, this deep gold is like sun. And, oh, those buds! I love your descriptions, of course: “flung out in invocation” is to me both poetic and exact. Good reading! I wish I could help you identify the little flowers, but of course I haven’t a clue.

    1. I imagine I may well have done, but I can’t find it – I was going to link it in, following your prompt. Nobody has been able to help with the little flower so far, but at least nobody has asked what it is.

      1. Well, now, this is very mysterious. I made a note about the Crocosmia before because I wanted to find out more about it, but now I can’t find the note. Maybe I hallucinated the whole thing.

        1. I doubt it. Probably the flower appeared in the background of a picture and you asked me what it was (it is very striking), but most likely the blog search only searches the blog content, not the comments.

  4. So beautiful and the perfect stage of flowering to photograph them. I love seeing the buds with the opened flowers. So much better that flowers with half-wilted heads.

  8. I would not have recognized that as a crocosmia. Crocosmias and montbretias are invasive weeds here. I saw some yellow ones many years ago, but hey looked just like the common orange ones, except hat they were yellow. They were just as tall and lean.

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