Montbretia is a hybrid of Crocosmia aurea and Crocosmia pottsii . The hybrid was first made by Victor Lemoine in Nancy, France, in 1879. The hybrid is intermediate between the parents but more vigorous than either. Montbretia has since been found to occur naturally in the wild in South Africa, in areas where the two parental species grow together. It is a member of the iris family (Iridaceae). The species epithet means “having flowers like Crocosmia. ” The hybrid was originally described in the genus Montbretia , which is now a synonym of Tritonia , and the flowers were (correctly) thought to resemble those of Crocosmia . Montbretia grows in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soils, in partial shade or full sun. The corms should be dug and divided every two or three years to maintain vigor. Its corms can be round or flat and covered with brown fibrous layers. Propagation can be accomplished by division, done just before the new growth begins. You may want to remove deal stems and leaves in the spring before new growth begins. The dramatic reddish-orange flowers of montbretia are exciting and eye-catching in the garden. Flowers form in two rows along the branches at the stem top. Each branch can have 4 to 20 flowers. Although still popular as an ornamental, montbretia has become an escaped weed in both tropical and temperate areas of the world, spreading in disturbed sites as well as wet grasslands, open woodlands, pastures, gardens, wastelands and along roadsides. Use montbretia carefully in herbaceous borders of butterfly, pollinator, children's or cottage gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It can be affected by spider mites. Maintenance is considered high due to its weedy nature. Care should be taken when disposing of unwanted plants and corms lest they become established. More information on Crocosmia .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Sheath
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Its flat, sword shaped, bright green leaves can reach lengths of up to 40". They may be pleated at the base. Each corm will produce 6 to 12 leaves.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Good Cut; Long Bloom Season
Flower form
Corymb; Spike
Flower shape
Trumpet; Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The zig zag rachis produces these two-toned orange/red/burgundy flowers perhaps lasting up to a month.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit consists of a 3-lobed capsule that forms after the plant flowers. The green capsule matures to brown. It contains, shrivelled, triangular, red or brown seeds that may not be viable.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The stems typically have a few branches near the tips.