Montbretia Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise'

👤 Non-toxic to humans

🐾 Non-toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise' is a striking perennial plant renowned for its vibrant and colorful flowers. This plant displays a captivating display of flower spikes that arise from mid to late summer. The blooms gracefully arch and open from the bottom upwards, revealing a flamboyant array of flowers along the stem in a sequentially unfolding spectacle. The individual flowers exhibit a gradient of warm hues, blending from a soft peach at the outer edges, transitioning to a more intense orange towards the center, and often showcasing a delicate throat with a hint of yellow. The petals are flared and slightly recurved, giving them a characteristic tubular to funnel-shaped appearance, which is particularly attractive to pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies. Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise' has a clump-forming habit with a lush base of sword-like foliage. The leaves are typically a deep, rich green, and their vertical orientation and blade-like structure provide a contrasting backdrop that enhances the brilliance of the flowering spikes. This plant is often used in garden borders, beds, and containers due to its ornamental value and ability to bring a lively splash of color to the landscape. It is also a popular choice for cut flower arrangements, with the long-lasting blooms and strong stems making them a standout addition to bouquets and floral displays.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Family
  Iridaceae
- Synonyms
  Montbretia, Coppertips, Falling Stars
- Common names
  Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise'.
Toxicity
- To humans
  Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise' is generally not considered toxic to humans. If ingested, it is unlikely to cause any serious harm or symptoms of poisoning. However, as with any plant material, individual sensitivities may occur, and ingesting large amounts might cause stomach upset or discomfort. It is always advisable to avoid eating parts of ornamental plants due to their unknown effects.
- To pets
  Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise' is not known to be toxic to household pets such as dogs and cats. Ingesting parts of this plant should not result in any significant toxicity or poisoning symptoms. However, as some pets may have individual sensitivities, mild gastrointestinal upset could potentially occur if a pet ingests a large amount of the plant. It's best to prevent pets from consuming plant material to avoid any potential issues.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Mixed
- Height
  2-3 feet (60-90 cm)
- Spread
  2 feet (60 cm)
- Plant type
  Bulb
- Hardiness zones
  5-9
- Native area
  South Africa

Benefits

General Benefits
- Vibrant Color: Adds a splash of warm hues, with flowers that blend orange, pink, and yellow tones.
- Attracts Pollinators: Invites bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the garden, supporting biodiversity.
- Easy to Grow: Known for being low maintenance and easy to care for, suitable for beginners.
- Drought Tolerant: Once established, Crocosmia can tolerate periods of drought, making it suitable for drier climates.
- Long Blooming Period: Provides color and interest in the garden from mid to late summer.
- Cutting Garden Favorite: The stems are excellent for use in floral arrangements, providing lasting cut flowers.
- Edging Plant: The upright, sword-like foliage creates a neat border to pathways and beds.
- Naturalizing: Over time, Crocosmia can spread and naturalize in the garden, filling in spaces and creating a fuller look.
- Deer Resistant: Less appealing to deer, which can help prevent damage to the garden.
- Architectural Interest: The unique shape of the flower spikes adds an architectural element to the 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
- Art Inspiration: Crocosmia often serves as a muse for artists and photographers, with its vivid 'Severn Sunrise' hues inspiring artwork and crafts.
- Floral Arrangements: Due to their striking colors and shapes, Crocosmia can be used as a vibrant addition to bouquets and floral displays.
- Eco-Friendly Dye: The intense pigments of Crocosmia flowers can be used to create natural dyes for fabrics and textiles.
- Education: Crocosmia can be used in educational settings such as botanical gardens to teach about plant diversity and pollination.
- Garden Design: Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise' can be planted to create contrasting color schemes or to add a splash of color in perennial borders.
- Hummingbird Garden: Crocosmia's nectar-rich flowers attract hummingbirds, making it ideal for including in bird-friendly garden designs.
- Photography Projects: The unique beauty of Crocosmia makes it an excellent subject for photography projects, capturing the essence of garden flowers.
- Seasonal Celebration: Crocosmia can be used as part of seasonal harvest decorations due to its late summer to autumn blooming period.
- Botanical Illustration: Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise' is an excellent subject for botanical illustration, combining scientific accuracy with artistic expression.
- Thematic Gardens: This plant is suitable for thematic gardens, such as a 'fire' themed garden, with its fiery red to orange hues.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
Montbretia is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
Montbretia is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Passion and Enthusiasm: The fiery shades of Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise' can symbolize intense feelings and a zest for life, reflecting the plant’s vibrant, flame-like flowers.
- Attraction and Desire: Often the bright, bold colors of flowers like the Crocosmia are associated with attraction, suggesting a pull or desire towards someone or something.
- Warmth and Sunshine: The warm hues of 'Severn Sunrise' evoke the energy and comfort of the sun, symbolizing warmth in both a literal and emotional sense.
- Strength and Survival: Crocosmia plants are hardy and can thrive in difficult conditions. They can symbolize strength, resilience, and the ability to overcome adversity.
- Beauty and Elegance: Despite its rugged nature, the 'Severn Sunrise' maintains an air of elegance, symbolizing the notion that beauty can be found in even the toughest surroundings.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 3-4 years

Repotting

🌱️

Late spring to early summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' thrives with consistent moisture, especially during its growth and blooming period. Water the plant deeply until the soil is saturated but not waterlogged, aiming for about 1 inch of water per week. In hotter, drier climates, you may need to water twice a week to maintain moisture. Always check the top few inches of soil for dryness before watering to avoid overwatering. During the winter dormancy period, reduce watering significantly to prevent root rot, only providing water to keep the soil from completely drying out.
Light
Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' performs best in full sun conditions, where it can receive at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. An ideal spot is in a south-facing garden where the plant receives ample light throughout the day. However, in very hot climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to prevent scorching of the leaves.
Temperature
Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, but it prefers the warmth of USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9. It can survive temperatures as low as 20°F but may need mulch for root protection in colder areas. The ideal temperature range for Montbretia is between 60°F and 80°F for optimal growth and flowering.
Pruning
Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' benefits from pruning to remove spent flowers and encourage a second flush of blooms. After the first wave of flowering, cut the faded bloom stalks down to the ground. In late fall or early spring, trim away dead foliage to tidy the plant and prepare it for the growing season. Prune any damaged or diseased leaves anytime throughout the year to maintain the plant's health.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' thrives in well-draining, loamy soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. A mix of two parts loam, one part sand, and one part compost is ideal, as it ensures both nutrients and proper drainage.
Repotting
Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' should be repotted every 2-3 years, or when the clumps become crowded. Spring is the best time for repotting to facilitate healthy growth.
Humidity & Misting
Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' is tolerant of a wide range of humidity levels and does not require any special humidity conditions for optimal growth.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Grow Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' in bright, indirect light and well-draining soil.
- Outdoor
  Plant Montbretia 'Severn Sunrise' in full sun to partial shade in fertile soil.
- Hardiness zone
  5-9 USDA
Life cycle
Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise' begins its life cycle when its corms (underground storage organs) are planted in late winter to early spring. After planting, corms sprout and produce long, slender leaves, followed by stems that bear a succession of tubular to funnel-shaped flowers showcasing a blend of orange, pink, and yellow hues throughout summer. As the flowering season ends, the plant enters a period of dormancy in late autumn to winter, during which the foliage dies back. During this dormant period, the corms rest and survive below the frost line. In spring, new growth emerges from the corms, often with additional cormlets which can be divided to propagate new plants. Finally, the life cycle repeats annually as established plants continue to grow, bloom, and enter dormancy in a perennial rhythm.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Late spring to early summer
- The Crocosmia 'Severn Sunrise', often known as falling stars or coppertips, is generally propagated by dividing the corms, the small bulb-like structures that reside underground. This process is done in the spring just before new growth begins. To propagate, gardeners dig up the clumps of corms and gently separate them, making sure that each new section has at least one growing point or shoot. These divided corms can then be replanted immediately at a depth of approximately 3 to 5 inches (about 7.5 to 12.5 cm), spaced about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) apart to allow sufficient room for growth. With proper care and favorable conditions, these new plantings will develop into flowering plants that will enhance gardens with their vibrant orange and red hues.