Crocosmia Hellfire - Montbretia

The Crocosmia hybrid 'Hellfire' is one of the best varieties of red-flowered Montbretia obtained in recent years. The plant is vigorous and floriferous, and its black flower stalks support bouquets of very large, fully open, velvety flowers of a superb crimson red without any trace of orange. They are larger and darker than those of Crocosmia Lucifer. A little later than other hybrid crocosmias, the flowering lasts until September above abundant foliage reminiscent of iris leaves. This incredibly generous plant can quickly grow like a gladiolus in the sun and moist soil. Its sumptuous flowers stand out in flower beds, containers, or bouquets.

Crocosmia is a herbaceous perennial plant with corms originating from South Africa, belonging to the Iridaceae family. It shows many similarities with the gladiolus and is grown the same way in cooler climates. In nature, Crocosmia develops in the sun, in moist soils in summer, and in drier soils in winter.

The 'Hellfire' variety, recently obtained in England, offers something new. The plant, vigorous and of beautiful stature, forms in spring a shrub of basal leaves, flexible, 60 cm (24in) tall, and produces strong, slightly arched stems, very dark in colour, 90 cm (35in) to 1 m (3ft) tall.  Each branch carries a branching spike, horizontal, with numerous buds that open into large flowers about 6 cm (2in) in diameter in July-August. The flowers are widely flared in this variety, composed of 6 red petals fused into a tube at the base. The dark green leaves are sword-shaped. They are crumpled, strongly veined, and spread out in a dense fan or cluster from the base of the plant. The reserve organ of Crocosmia is a corm, an underground pseudo-bulb that looks like a bulb but is formed from a swollen stem surrounded by scales.

Half-bulb, half-shrub, and Montbretia symbolise the splendour of summer better than any other plant with their abundant and cheerful flowering. Easy to grow, vigorous, and not demanding, they are planted in the sun, in groups of 10 corms, in fertile and moist soil. Their bright colours, yellow, orange, or red, form very cheerful spots of colour in gardens. They are splendid with annuals (Cosmos, love-in-a-mist, poppies) and integrate well into natural gardens, mixed with light perennials such as fennel, Baptisia, common sage or catmints. Their pairing with grasses is always successful.

When they thrive in open ground, in sunny exposure and well-drained soil, they multiply over the years and become more beautiful every year. They are also excellent flowers for your bouquets.