Crocosmia in my garden

This month the roadsides of Arran are bright with spikes of little orange flowers, a garden escape and successful coloniser which originated in South Africa. It’s called montbretia and their cheery survival is an indicator how tough and adaptable their family is.

They are cousins to Crocosmia, whose many named varieties have been bred for the garden in every shade of yellow red and peach. The little brown root corms increase rapidly underground so a few corms soon make a generous clump. Given a sunny site, on Arran they need no winter protection or special care; some of them self-seed generously and even interbreed; making it a hard decision to pull up love-child seedlings..at least until they have flowered.

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