montbretia
Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora (Lemoine) N.E.Br.
Montbretia is a hybrid developed in cultivation in France from two southern African species, Crocosmia aurea and C. pottsii. Its history combines garden breeding with a strong ability to establish beyond gardens. The Australian weed flora records it widely naturalised in coastal parts of southeastern Australia. Weeds of Australia: Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora
Botanical name
Flora of New Zealand recognises Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora (Lemoine) N.E.Br., the catalog’s montbretia hybrid. Flora of New Zealand: Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora
Recognizing the plant
The New Zealand flora describes stiff, leafy clumps roughly sixty to ninety centimetres high. Underground rhizomes and flattened corms support fans of firm, sword-shaped leaves. Several successive corms may remain stacked at the base of a shoot. The flowering branches follow a zigzag axis, carrying reddish-orange flowers with a narrow tube and spreading lobes. Small, three-sided capsules follow, containing reddish-brown seeds. The upright leaf fans contrast with the more loosely arranged flowering branches. Flora of New Zealand: Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora
Bloom window
New Zealand
Flora of New Zealand records flowering in January and February, during the southern summer. Flora of New Zealand: Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora
Native range
Because the plant is a horticultural hybrid, its parental homeland in southern Africa differs from the place where the hybrid was developed. In New Zealand it is classified as exotic. Weeds of Australia: Crocosmia ×crocosmiifloraFlora of New Zealand: Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.