Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora (Lemoine) N.E. Br.

Autumn Gold; Garden Montbretia; Hybrid Montbretia

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Montbretia is an introduced perennial herb in the Iris family (Iridaceae). It is a garden hybrid of two African species (Crocosmia aurea (Pappe ex Hooker f.) Planchon and C. pottsii (Macnab ex Baker) N. E. Brown), first produced in France in 1880. Montbretia is often planted in gardens, and over 150 cultivars are available. It has escaped in the southern half of Alabama. Montbretia occurs around old home sites, on roadsides, in disturbed woodlands, on the banks of creeks, and in roadside ditches. It is a perennial from a globose corm. Stems are erect or arching, with leaves mostly basal and forming a fan. The leaves are lanceolate, entire, and flat or plicate. Flowers are produced in spike-like inflorescences of 4-8 flowers. Individual flowers have 6 orange to red or yellow tepals. The tepals are united into a short tube basally. The outer tepals are slightly larger than the inner tepals. The fruit is a 3-lobed capsule. Montbretia is often grown for cut flowers and is frequently found in commercial flower arrangements. Corms and plants are readily available from nurseries. It prefers a lightly shaded site with a moist, organic-rich and sandy soil.—A. Diamond.

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Not Native

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