Montbretia is a
non-native invasive
perennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in woodland, hedgerows and waste ground, to a mature height of up to 100cm.
Montbretia is a French cross from plants originating in South Africa, introduced into the UK as a garden plant in the late nineteeth century. It grows easily from discarded corms and root fragments and spreads out vegetatively using creeping rhizomes. Montbretia is now found in the wild as an 'escape' throughout the UK.
Botanic classification and naming: Montbretia is a member of the Iris (Iridaceae) family. The genus name
'Crocosmia' identifies the plant as a Montbretia, a grassland plant of the Iris family and its species name 'crocosmiiflora' means 'Crocosmia-like flowers'.
Concerns: Montbretia is a listed invasive non-native plant under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and it is illegal to plant this species in England and Wales, or to cause it to grow in the wild.
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