CROCOSMIA or MONTBRETIA

I used to think there was a difference between Crocosmia and Montbretia but, apparently, they are the same plant. I had called the one we commonly see, the orange one, Montbretia; and I had called the bright coloured red ones Crocosmia. Just goes to show, you live and you learn. Whatever we choose to call them, they are certainly survivors and are considered invasive in the United Kingdom and, apparently, it is illegal to plant them in the wild. An indication of what survivors they are is that I have a less than pretty corner in my garden where the dustbin is, where the bag for the recycling of paper, tin, glass and plastic is, where the patio ends and there are steps to a side gate. The ground where the post is set into the ground is rocky with aggregate and concrete, and there is little by way of soil but, still, a Montbretia has found its way there, sprouted and shot up of its own accord. It's a survivor alright.

Montbretia - Sept 2012

(I apologise for the quality of the above image but the gusty weather kept blowing the plant around while I tried to take the photo). At least you can see just how useful Montbretia, or Crocosmia, can be. If you have a poor area that you want to mask, try shoving a few Montbretia corms into the ground. I understand that they like some shade which is another bonus for a difficult shady spot. Mine grows in a very shady area that gets no direct sun at all. While they will spread, I don't find Montbretia particularly invasive because it is easily pulled out of the ground and if a few corms remain, just pull them up. At least it doesn't throw out invasive roots that find their way into all your other plants. I grew it years ago in a garden in Cornwall and had no problems with it at all.

RHS on crocosmia vs montbretia (external link)

You can see from the below image what a survivor this plant is. There is a string of corms just waiting to sprout.