The Montbretia is a large perennial with orange-red flowers.
Its original distribution area is southern Africa. There, the perennial is found in mountainous regions. Crocosmia belongs to the iris family. Crocosmia resembles gladioli. Because of their long flowering period and their colourful flowers, Montbretias are classics in the perennial garden.
Montbretias Lucifer provide an exotic flair in the garden with their flowers
The flowering season lasts from July to September. With its striking flowers, the ornamental perennial delights every observer during this time. The colourfulness of the filigree flowers is fantastic. The flower stems grow arching and consist of small, funnel-shaped individual flowers. These stand in two rows on the stems. The flowers are intense red-orange and extraordinarily bright.
The leaves of the Montbretia Lucifer are dark green and sword-shaped. They are sessile and form a flower cluster about 50 centimetres high. The arching stems rise from this. The dark green of the leaves forms a great contrast to the orange-red flowers of the Crocosmia.
An upright growing perennial with many possibilities.
The perennial grows upright and reaches a height of 80 to 100 centimetres. The ornamental plant enhances the back to middle of the bed. Crocosmia also looks enchanting in the garden on the terrace or balcony. Crocosmia Lucifer is also a beautiful cut plant in a vase. Cut the flowers for the vase only when they have blossomed.
Montbretia location
The Montbretia prefers a sunny location. Crocosmia Lucifer makes few demands on the soil, as long as it is well drained and rich in nutrients. Crocosmia does not tolerate waterlogging. The Montbretia looks best in a group of plants. A distance of around 30 centimetres is ideal so that each Montbretia can develop well. The planting depth should be about ten centimetres.
crocosmia is hardy. The perennial can tolerate temperatures of around -15 degrees Celsius. However, protect the plant with a layer of brushwood or leaves in case of prolonged bare frosts. If the soil in your garden is generally moist, it is better to dig up the tubers in winter. In spring the tubers are put back into the ground. At the beginning of May they will sprout as soon as the soil has warmed up again.
Montbretias add zest to the garden
The Montbretia fits into any garden, whether naturalistic or modern. If you buy a montbretia, you can combine it with many summer perennials and grasses. You can achieve great colour effects in the borders by combining a Crocosmia Lucifer with yellow or red flowering plants. Great planting partners are, for example, coneflower, sunflower or jewel lily
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