Habit
KENPEI, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Montbretia
Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora (Lemoine ex Morren) N.E.Br.
Also known as: Crocosmia, Falling stars
Family: Iridaceae
60 to 100 cm tall
Sunny borders and flower beds, planted from corms in spring
Flowering: July – September
Full sun
Hardy to about -12°C (mulch in winter in cold climates)
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Some varieties of montbretia have naturalised and now form spontaneous colonies along roads and banks in regions with a mild oceanic climate.
🍃 Leaves
Sword-shaped, narrow, upright in a fan, with marked parallel veins, similar to those of the gladiolus
🌸 Flowers
Funnel-shaped, orange to bright red, borne in arching one-sided spikes
🍎 Fruits
Small seed capsule, of little interest in cultivation
🪵 Bark
Not applicable — herbaceous plant with a corm
🗺️ Distribution
Garden hybrid derived from southern African species, now locally naturalised in some regions with a mild climate
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-rich flowers much visited by bees and, in warm climates, by hummingbirds
✂️ Horticultural uses
Flower beds, borders and cut flowers for its colourful spikes in late summer
🌿 Other Iridaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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