Montbretia Crocosmia 'Highlight'

👤 Non-toxic to humans

🐾 Non-toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

Crocosmia 'Highlight' is a striking perennial boasting brilliant color and unique form. This plant showcases vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers arranged along arching stems, creating a spray of blossoming fireworks. The blooms typically exhibit a warm, fiery hue, with shades of orange, red, or yellow that draw the eye and add a splash of brightness to any garden space. These vivid flowers are made even more prominent by the slender, sword-like foliage that gracefully emerges from the base of the plant, providing a lush, green backdrop that contrasts beautifully with the intense floral display. The leaves themselves give an impression of both elegance and vitality, heightening the aesthetic appeal of this decorative cultivar.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Family
  Iridaceae
- Synonyms
  Montbretia, Coppertips, Falling Stars
- Common names
  Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora 'Highlight'.
Toxicity
- To humans
  Montbretia 'Highlight' is not commonly known to be toxic to humans. However, as with many plants, individual sensitivity can vary, and ingesting plant material may potentially cause mild stomach upset or an allergic reaction in some individuals. There is no well-documented case of poisoning from this plant in people, so while it's not considered toxic, it's still advisable to avoid ingesting it as a general safety precaution.
- To pets
  Montbretia 'Highlight' is also not widely recognized as a toxic plant to pets such as cats and dogs. Like with humans, ingestion might lead to mild gastrointestinal upset, but there is no widespread evidence of severe toxicity or life-threatening effects. However, always exercise caution and prevent pets from eating ornamental plants, as they may still cause adverse reactions due to a pet's specific sensitivities or allergies.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Orange
- Height
  2-3 feet (0.6-0.9 meters)
- Spread
  1-2 feet (0.3-0.6 meters)
- Plant type
  Bulb
- Hardiness zones
  5
- Native area
  South Africa

Benefits

General Benefits
- Attracts pollinators: Crocosmia 'Highlight' is known for its ability to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, contributing to pollination in the garden.
- Vivid coloration: With bright, showy flowers, it adds a pop of color to any garden or landscape design.
- Drought tolerance: Once established, the plant has good drought resistance, which is advantageous in dry climates or areas with water-use restrictions.
- Easy maintenance: These plants require minimal care once they are established and are relatively low-maintenance.
- Long blooming period: Crocosmia 'Highlight' has a lengthy flowering season, typically blooming from mid-summer to early fall.
- Cutting garden addition: The flowers make excellent cut flowers for arrangements, providing color and structure to bouquets.
- Resistant to pests: The plant is generally resistant to pests, reducing the need for chemical treatments in the garden.
- Height interest: Crocosmia 'Highlight' can add vertical interest to garden beds or borders due to its tall, arching flower stems.
- Versatile planting options: It can be planted in borders, containers, or as part of a mixed perennial bed, offering versatility in garden design.
Medical Properties
This plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Photography Subject: Crocosmia, with its bright red, orange or yellow flowers, provides a vibrant subject for photographers, especially those specializing in macro or nature photography.
- Textile Dye: The vivid flowers of the Crocosmia can be used to create natural dyes for fabric, yielding hues that can range from yellows to oranges, depending on the mordant used.
- Eco-printing: Leaves and flowers of Crocosmia can be used for eco-printing, a technique where plants are used to transfer color and patterns directly onto fabric or paper.
- Culinary Decoration: Although not commonly consumed, Crocosmia flowers can be used as a decorative, non-toxic garnish for salads and desserts to add a splash of color.
- Artistic Inspiration: The shape and form of Crocosmia can serve as an inspiration for artists and designers, influencing patterns, jewelry design, and other decorative arts.
- Garden Borders: Crocosmia can be planted as an effective border plant due to its height and dense foliage, providing structure to garden designs.
- Companion Planting: Crocosmia can be used in companion planting to attract beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies, thus promoting pollination in gardens.
- Floral Arrangements: Stems of Crocosmia are often used in floral arrangements, adding a dramatic flair with their arched flowering branches.
- Education and Research: Crocosmia can be used in educational settings to teach about plant biology, hybridization, and the importance of pollinators.
- Seasonal Festivities: Crocosmia's flowers can be used to create natural decorations for events and festivities, particularly in the summer and fall months.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
The Crocosmia is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The Crocosmia is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Passion and Love: Crocosmia is often associated with feelings of love and passion due to its fiery red and orange hues, reminiscent of a burning flame.
- Independence: The plant's ability to grow in tough conditions and its upright stance symbolize independence and the strength to stand alone.
- Adventure and Exploration: Exotic and vibrant, Crocosmia encourages a sense of adventure and exploration, representing the thrill of discovering the unknown.
- Warmth and Joy: With its warm-colored flowers, it conveys a sense of joy, happiness, and cheerfulness, brightening gardens and spirits alike.
- Vitality: As Crocosmia bursts into bloom it signifies life and vitality, representing energy and the flow of life.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 3-4 years

Repotting

🌱️

Late spring

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
Montbretia requires consistent moisture during its growing season, so aim to water it deeply once or twice a week, providing about 1-2 inches of water each time. Adjust the frequency depending on weather conditions—more frequent watering in dry spells and less when it's rainy. It's best to water early in the morning to allow moisture to seep down to the roots and to reduce evaporation losses. Ensure proper drainage to prevent waterlogging, which can lead to root rot. In winter, when the plant is dormant, reduce watering significantly, providing just enough to keep the soil from becoming completely dry.
Light
Montbretia thrives in full sun to partial shade. It performs best when it receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. The ideal spot for Montbretia is in an area that captures morning sunlight and is sheltered from the intense heat of the afternoon sun, especially in hotter regions.
Temperature
Montbretia prefers a temperate climate with temperatures between 60°F and 70°F during its growth period. The plant is cold hardy and can tolerate minimum winter temperatures down to around 5°F, but it cannot survive in prolonged freezes. To encourage robust growth, avoid exposure to extremes of cold or heat.
Pruning
Prune Montbretia to remove dead foliage and spent flower stalks after blooming to encourage healthy growth and to maintain a tidy appearance. Pruning is typically done in late fall or early spring. Cutting back the foliage to ground level once it has died back completely in the fall helps prevent diseases and pests.
Cleaning
Not needed
Soil
Montbretia, commonly known as 'Highlight', thrives in a soil mix that is well-draining, rich in organic matter, and slightly acidic to neutral in pH, typically around 6.0 to 7.0. A good mix can be created using equal parts loam, peat, and sharp sand to ensure proper drainage and fertility.
Repotting
Montbretia 'Highlight' typically needs repotting every 2 to 3 years or when it becomes pot-bound. It is best done in early spring before the growing season starts or after the flowers have faded.
Humidity & Misting
Montbretia 'Highlight' is tolerant of a range of humidity conditions and does not require high humidity, making it suitable for most average garden environments.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Ensure bright light and good airflow for Montbretia indoors.
- Outdoor
  Plant Montbretia in well-draining soil, full sun.
- Hardiness zone
  5-9 USDA.
Life cycle
Crocosmia 'Highlight', also known as Montbretia 'Highlight', begins its life cycle when the corms, which are its underground storage organs, are planted in the soil during late winter to spring. The corms sprout to produce sword-shaped leaves and flower stems by early to mid-summer. The vibrant, funnel-shaped flowers bloom along the stems in a sequence, attracting pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds. After the flowering period, the plant sets seed, which can be dispersed to generate new plants, although crocosmias most commonly propagate vegetatively through corm offsets. As autumn approaches, the foliage dies back, and the plant enters a period of dormancy where the corms rest over winter. With the return of warmer temperatures in the following spring, the cycle begins anew with the growth of new shoots from the corms.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Late spring
- Crocosmia 'Highlight', commonly known as montbretia, is typically propagated through division of corms, which is its most popular method. The best time to propagate montbretia by division is in the spring after the last frost when the plant is just beginning to grow. To propagate, carefully dig up the clump of corms and gently separate them, ensuring each divided corm has a piece of the base stalk attached to it for successful growth. After division, replant the corms about 3 to 5 inches deep (approximately 8 to 13 centimeters) and space them approximately 6 to 8 inches apart (15 to 20 centimeters). Water them well after planting to help establish the new montbretia plants. It's key to provide well-draining soil and to place the plants in a location that receives full sun to partial shade to encourage robust growth and blooming.