Crocosmia - or montbreccia is a tuberous, herbaceous, perennial plant. The bulb is small and covered with scales. Flowers, 3 to 5 in number, are arranged in paniculate inflorescences. Plant height to 60-90 cm. It has a slender, straight stem with light green, narrow, paniculate erect leaves. Flowers up to 3 - 5 cm in diameter, aggregated in small paniculate inflorescence. The flowers are yellow or orange-red. Flowering occurs in June or August. During flowering the plant is incredibly beautiful. Its brightly coloured flowers last a long time in a cut (up to two weeks). But cut them off at the second bud stage. By cutting the flower, the bulb will begin to grow more vigorously. Crocosmia inflorescences can be dried for winter bouquets. When dried, they retain their shape and colouring. Crocosmia need a lot of light to flower. So plant it in an open, sunny spot in the garden. The soil should be nutritious, rich in humus and moderately moist. It doesn't like stagnant water. Over-watering will often cause the bulbs to rot.
Large-flowered species should be dug up for the winter. Dig up the bulbs in dry weather in late October as they will be growing and storing nutrients until then. Shake the bulbs and their offspring off the ground, trim off the leaves and stems to a height of 5 cm, then leave them to dry for a few days. Place the dried bulbs in a box or paper bag, cover with peat and store indoors or in the cellar at 5 - 7°C.
