Though his supposed specialties were conifers and alpine flora, over his life Bloom developed more than 150 varieties of perennials. Crocosmia are a genus of plants native to southern and eastern Africa that have become fan favorites in domestic gardens. The darling variety developed by Bloom is Crocosmia lucifer, also called Coppertip, Falling Star and Montbretia. The Vineyard did indeed have a steam engine operating as the Martha’s Vineyard Railroad from 1872 to 1896, plying the beach route between Oak Bluffs and Katama. Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, and author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature and The Nature of Martha’s Vineyard.