Out of Africa - Garden Plants – Montbretia/Crocosmia
Name - for Antoine Francois Ernest Conquebert de Montbret, the 18th century botanist who accompanied Napoleon's invasion of Egypt. The plant is actually called Montbretia, the genus is Crocosmia, but people still use the two names interchangeably and confusingly! Also known as the sword lily, just to add to the mystery.
Description - Gladiolus-like foliage and branched funnel-shaped flower spikes which rise to about three feet. Each stem has star-shaped flowers opening along the length in shades of orange, yellow or red.
Origins – Montbretia/Crocosmia are a yet another family of Southern African bulbous plants which spread by producing corms. All of the ones currently grown in the UK originated in the summer rainfall areas of Southern Africa. Most are pretty drought tolerant, although every variety will respond to be being given plenty of water during the growing season. Amazingly, this flower has a famous patron whose link to the plant is hardly known. Sir Winston Churchill visited Breccles Hall frequently, and asked Albert Hill, one of the Breccles Hall gardeners to take over his own garden at Chartwell in 1928. So alongside the famous Chartwell roses, there were famous Montbretia/Crocosmia, but the story doesn’t end there, because it was Churchill’s success as a war leader that caused the downfall of his Crocosmia! Some of the plants that were developed in this time were awarded horticultural medals and were sold of huge prices – they were as popular as tulips in sixteenth century Holland. However, the sad truth is that three-quarters of all those pre-war hybrids have been lost entirely, partly through changes in fashion or lack of hardiness, some to pests or diseases, but mostly as a result of the 'The Dig for Victory' campaign in the UK during WWII which wiped out many flowers! Give them fertile soil in full sun and divide every third year if the plants are looking crowded.
Africa Montbretia photograph by Paul Albertella, used under a creative commons attribution licence
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violet, agapanthus, aster, bergamot, chincherinchee, evening primrose, freesia, gardenia, geranium, gerbera, gladiolus, gloriosa, kalmia, kniphofia, lisianthus, lobelia, lupin, mahonia, montbretia, nemophila, protea, rudbeckia, strelitzia, sunflower, trumpet vine