On 24/09/19 12:51, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:32:25 +0100, Graeme
wrote:


Morning all,

Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch. I have
the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers. No
earth on the corms.

When should I plant them? Now, or spring? Should I cut off the growth,
or just leave it to wither and die?

Thanks!

I wouldn't have them as a gift! I'm surprised they 'do' so far north.
They're South African in origin.

There are many quite hardy SA plants (particularly those from the
Drakensberg Mountains). Although Montbretia's parents aren't from the
Drakensbergs, it is said to be hardy to US zone 5. The wiki for
Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora states at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocosmia_%C3%97_crocosmiiflora#Invasive_species
"It is widely naturalised in England and Scotland especially along the
western seaboard from Cornwall north all the way to Sutherland. ", so
that confirms it should be hardy in Aberdeenshire.

Two points:

Down here in Cornwall, they grow wild in hedgerows and on rough
uncultivated land, _everywhere_.

I am not at all surprised; the wiki for Crocosmia notes that x
crocosmiiflora is "naturalised in parts of Europe, Rwanda, Zaire, Assam,
Norfolk Island in Australia, Fiji, the Caribbean, Argentina, Tristan da
Cunha (C. aurea × C. pottsii)". It is deemed as "invasive" in New
Zealand and California.
If you really want a Crocosmia, there are much more attractive and
better behaved ones.

Are those the ones made from silk?... ;-)

--

Jeff