Montbretia 'Orangeade' Crocosmia 'Orangeade'

👤 Non-toxic to humans

🐾 Non-toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

'Orangeade' is a cormous perennial with narrow, pleated mid-green leaves and sideways-facing, glistening, vibrant deep tangerine-orange flowers, with projecting stamens, in summer

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Family
  Iridaceae
- Synonyms
  Montbretia, Coppertips, Falling Stars, Sword Lily
- Common names
  Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora 'Orangeade'.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Orange
- Height
  2-3 feet (60-90 cm)
- Spread
  1-2 feet (30-60 cm)
- Plant type
  Bulb
- Hardiness zones
  5
- Native area
  South Africa

Benefits

General Benefits
- Attracts Wildlife – The vibrant flowers of Crocosmia 'Orangeade' are nectar-rich, making them attractive to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, which can help pollinate your garden.
- Vivid Color Display – With striking orange flowers, it adds a splash of intense color to the garden, creating a focal point or enhancing the overall visual appeal.
- Easy to Grow – Known for its hardiness and low maintenance, it is suitable for gardeners of all skill levels, requiring minimal care once established.
- Long Blooming Period – The plant has a prolonged flowering season from mid to late summer, offering a long-lasting display.
- Drought Tolerance – Once established, it is drought tolerant, making it suitable for gardens in areas with less rainfall or for gardeners who prefer low-water landscapes.
- Cut Flowers – The blooms are long-lasting when cut and used in floral arrangements, bringing beauty to your home as well as your garden.
- Architectural Interest – The sword-like foliage and arching flower stems can add architectural interest to garden beds and borders.
- Versatile Planting Options – Suitable for planting in borders, containers, and as part of a mixed bed, offering flexibility in garden design.
- Generous Propagation – The plant can be easily propagated by dividing the corms in spring or fall, allowing you to create more plants for other areas of the garden or to share with fellow gardeners.
- Deer Resistance – Typically, it is not a preferred plant for deer, which can be a significant advantage in areas where deer browsing is a problem for gardeners.
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
- Ink Production: The vivid colors of Crocosmia flowers can be used to make natural dyes for inks, often sought after by artists looking for unique, organic pigments.
- Artistic Inspiration: Crocosmia's striking appearance makes it a popular subject for photographers and painters, who capture its bright colors and architectural form.
- Floral Jewelry: The small, bright flowers of Crocosmia can be used to create unique pieces of jewelry, such as necklaces or earrings, often used in botanical art and fashion.
- Education: Crocosmia serves as an educational tool in botanical and gardening classes, teaching about plant biology, hybridization, and care of perennials.
- Textile Printing: The flower and leaf patterns can be used in the textile industry to create nature-inspired prints for fabrics.
- Crafting: Dried Crocosmia flowers and seed pods can be used in crafting, for instance, in making greeting cards or scrapbooking thanks to their unique shape and texture.
- Culinary Presentation: Although not for consumption, Crocosmia flowers can be used as a garnish to add bright color and presentation flair to dishes in high-end culinary settings.
- Biodegradable Confetti: Dried petals of Crocosmia can be used as natural, biodegradable confetti for eco-friendly celebrations.
- Fragrance Production: While not commonly known for their scent, on a small scale, extracts from Crocosmia could potentially be used in the custom perfume industry to provide a unique note to fragrance blends.
- Hair Accessories: Crocosmia blooms can be incorporated into hair accessories like barrettes and tiaras, especially for summer-themed or floral-inspired hairstyles.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
The Montbretia is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The Montbretia is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Passion and Enthusiasm: The vibrant, fiery orange hue of the Crocosmia embodies excitement and intense feelings, often used to express a passionate nature.
- Energy and Warmth: The warm orange tones of the Crocosmia flower are reminiscent of the sun, symbolizing energy, warmth, and the ability to invigorate and uplift.
- Confidence and Boldness: Crocosmia's striking appearance can be associated with a bold and confident presence, often encouraging people to make bold moves and be assertive.
- Joy and Happiness: The bright and cheerful look of the Crocosmia can convey joy and happiness, making it a symbol of good cheer in floral arrangements.
- Transformation and Change: As a perennial that returns year after year, Crocosmia can symbolize renewal, change, and the cycle of life.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 3-4 years

Repotting

🌱️

Late spring-summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
Montbretia 'Orangeade' should be watered deeply once a week with approximately 1 to 1.5 gallons of water, increasing to twice a week during hot, dry spells to ensure the soil stays evenly moist but not soggy. Newly planted bulbs need consistent moisture to help establish roots, so during the first growing season, watch the moisture levels carefully. In well-draining soil, it’s crucial that they are not left to sit in waterlogged conditions, which could lead to bulb rot.
Light
Montbretia 'Orangeade' thrives best in full sun locations where it receives direct sunlight for at least six to eight hours a day. A spot that gets morning sun and some afternoon shade is acceptable, especially in the hotter regions, but less light may result in fewer flowers. Avoid too much shade as it can cause the stems to weaken and the blooms to be less vibrant.
Temperature
Montbretia 'Orangeade' grows well in temperatures ranging between 60°F and 90°F but can tolerate down to 20°F once established. The ideal growth temperatures are between 70°F and 85°F. While the plants are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9, they require winter mulching in the cooler parts of this range to protect the bulbs from freezing temperatures.
Pruning
Montbretia 'Orangeade' is typically pruned to remove spent flower stems and tidy up the plant after flowering. Deadheading is encouraged to promote continued blooming throughout the season. After the flowers have faded and the foliage begins to die back in the fall, cut the plants to the ground.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
The best soil mix for the Montbretia 'Orangeade' is well-draining and rich in organic matter with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0. A mix of two parts loam, one part peat or compost, and one part sharp sand or perlite is ideal for this plant.
Repotting
Montbretia 'Orangeade' should be repotted every 2 to 3 years, when the clumps become overcrowded or the soil has been exhausted. The best time to repot is in spring before the new growth starts.
Humidity & Misting
Montbretia 'Orangeade' is tolerant of a wide range of humidity levels but prefers moderate humidity. It does not have specific humidity requirements and can thrive in the ambient outdoor humidity.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Ensure bright light, and moist, well-draining soil.
- Outdoor
  Plant in full sun, enrich soil, ensure good drainage.
- Hardiness zone
  5-9 USDA
Life cycle
The life cycle of Crocosmia 'Orangeade', also known as Montbretia 'Orangeade', begins with germination from corms, which are underground storage organs. After planting, these corms send up shoots which develop into strap-like green leaves. Throughout the late spring and summer, the plant grows rapidly, eventually producing tall flower spikes adorned with vibrant orange flowers that attract pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees. After flowering, usually from mid to late summer, the plant sets seeds, but in cultivation, it is more commonly propagated through division of corms. As autumn approaches, the leaves and stems die back, and the plant enters a period of dormancy, with the corms surviving underground. With the return of warmer weather in the following spring, the cycle begins anew as new growth emerges from the corms.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Late spring-summer
- For Crocosmia 'Orangeade', commonly referred to as montbretia, the most popular method of propagation is through division, which is ideally carried out during the late winter or early spring months before new growth begins. To propagate montbretia by division, first carefully lift the clump of corms from the ground using a garden fork, taking care not to damage the corms themselves. Gently shake off any excess soil and remove any dead material. You can then separate the corms by hand, taking care to keep intact any small cormlets that may have formed. Each corm or cormlet should have a portion of the base and some roots attached. Replant the corms immediately at a depth of approximately 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 12.7 centimeters) apart to give them room to grow. Water the newly planted corms to help establish them and await the emergence of new montbretia plants.