15 Knockout Crocosmia Varieties With Advice From An Experienced Grower
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
Contributions From MARK WASH
Mark has more than 40 years of experience in horticulture, from growing and breeding at his own nursery, working at garden centres and designing products for the horticultural trade. He’s also won Gold medals at both the Hampton Court and Tatton Park RHS Flower Shows.
IN THIS GUIDE
- 1) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Babylon’
- 2) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Citronella’
- 3) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Coleton Fishacre’
- 4) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Emily McKenzie’
- 5) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘George Davidson’
- 6) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Harvest Sun’
- 7) C. ‘Hellfire’
- 8) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Honey Angels’
- 9) C. ‘Lucifer’
- 10) C. masoniorum
- 11) C. ‘Paul’s Best Yellow’
- 12) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Saracen’
- 13) C. ‘Severn Sunrise’
- 14) C. ‘Spitfire’
- 15) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Star of the East’
- References
Crocosmias are beautiful flowering perennials that come in a range of different sizes and lots of warm, fiery hues.
When choosing a crocosmia to grow, it is important to note that some spread far more widely and quickly than others.
C. × crocosmiiflora can actually become invasive, both in the garden and in the surrounding countryside.1Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora (montbretia). (2022, January 7). CABI Compendium. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.55282
Some are shorter and more compact, others far taller.
It is important to choose the right variety for your needs and also to prevent the spread of more invasive types into the surrounding environment, where they can become a problem for local plant life.
It is also important to consider the hues of the flowers, and how the particular cultivar will long alongside the other plants you are growing in your garden.
Mark Wash, the owner of Trecanna Nursery, shared his thoughts on the varieties of crocosmia: “What a difficult question to answer!” Mark said after being asked to choose a favourite.
“If it’s an orange flower you’re after, I’d go for ‘Columbus’ with its purple buds followed by apricot flowers.
“For yellow flowers ‘Lemon Spray’ is a beautiful primrose-yellow and for red, maybe our own ‘Tamar Double Red’, which was recently awarded an RHS Award of Garden Merit.
“All three of these varieties are really beautiful plants, producing a reliable display year after year.”
With Mark’s choices in mind, I’ve put together my own list of 15 varieties.
Here are some of the best and most interesting crocosmias to consider growing in your garden.
All of the varieties in this list can be grown in any moist but well-drained soil with any pH, and can be positioned in either full sun or partial shade, in an exposed or sheltered location.
1) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Babylon’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Babylon’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red and yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This crocosmia grows to an eventual height of around 1m, with a spread of 0.1-0.5m.
It has large, orangey-red flowers, with a golden yellow inside, surrounded by a dark ring.
This option is H4 hardy and is a recipient of the RHS AGM.
2) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Citronella’
- COMMON NAME(S): Crocosmia citronella
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This fresh and zesty choice has upright light green leaves and small soft yellow flowers.
It has an eventual maximum height and spread of around 60cm.
The lively yellow flowers look great alongside more orange or red crocosmia and also with other late summer or autumn flowers, like Rudbeckia ‘Herbstsonne’, or Canna ‘Semaphore’.
3) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Coleton Fishacre’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Coleton Fishacre’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This is another yellow flowering crocosmia, but this one has flowers with a richer, more golden yellow hue.
The plants grow to around 60cm tall, with a spread of 0.1-0.5m.
This option is H5 hardy and is a good choice for a partially shaded spot.
4) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Emily McKenzie’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Emily McKenzie’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red and orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
A great choice for container growing or small spaces, this is one of the more compact crocosmia.
It grows to around 60cm in height but will spread to only around 8cm, forming small, dense clumps.
The blooms are bright orange, with a mahogany hue in the throat.
Try growing this alongside Achillea ‘Terracotta’, or Echinacea ‘Irresistible’ for beautiful late summer and early autumn displays.
5) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘George Davidson’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘George Davison’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This is another yellow crocosmia which has golden yellow flowers, like those of freesias, which bloom well into autumn.
This grows to around 60cm in height and spread, holding its own alongside other dramatic flowering plants like kniphofia (Red Hot Pokers) or ornamental grasses.
6) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Harvest Sun’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘harvest sun’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Red and yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This is a fairly new crocosmia hybrid, which has upright form, fresh green foliage, and large red-orange flowers that are great for a tropical planting scheme with exotic-looking dahlias.
It grows around 90cm tall with a spread of around 45cm.
7) C. ‘Hellfire’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Hellfire’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Red
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This is another taller crocosmia, with bright red flowers on arching stems which can reach a height of around 1m, or even a little more.
The plant has a spread of around 0.1-0.5m.
It is H5 hardy and can be grown in full sun or partial shade.
The petals of these flowers open up more than those on many other cultivars and are large and dramatic.
A recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
8) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Honey Angels’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Honey Angels’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This RHS recipient is a charming and somewhat more delicate variety – it has creamy yellow flowers.
It grows to a height of around 75cm and has a spread of 0.1 to 0.5m and is H5 hardy.
This cultivar looks great in gentle prairie planting schemes alongside grasses and other late-flowering perennials, like salvias.
9) C. ‘Lucifer’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Lucifer’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Red and orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
A famed crocosmia cultivar, ‘Lucifer’ is a UK garden favourite with vibrant red flowers.
It grows up to 1.2m in height with an eventual spread of less than 0.5m.
This is one of the earlier crocomia to flower, doing so from around July, and it is great for the back of a border.
“C. ‘Lucifer’ might be an older cultivar, but it is tried and tested and, to my mind, not bettered, particularly for early flowering,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly.
“The length and arch of its flowering stems makes it a real eye-catcher.”
It is well known for its vigour and resilience.
10) C. masoniorum
- COMMON NAME(S): giant montbretia
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red and orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
Also known as giant crocosmia, this is another great taller plant for the back of a border.
It has bright orange-red, upward-facing flowers, born on stems which can reach around 1.2m in height.
It has a spread of 0.1-0.5m and is H4 hardy.
This plant has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
“I really like C. masoniorum for its height and drama in late summer, although I find that it needs dividing every three years or so to keep it where I want it!” adds Colin.
11) C. ‘Paul’s Best Yellow’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Paul’s Best Yellow’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
The beautiful bright golden yellow flowers of this cultivar are borne on stems that can tower to 1.5m, with a spread of up to 1m or so.
The tall flowering stems can make this a great choice for larger gardens and the flowers are great for cutting for household displays.
12) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Saracen’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Saracen’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red, orange and yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
The thin strap leaves of this cultivar are a mid-green tone, flushed with a bronze hue.
The flowers are bright reddish-orange, with yellowish throats.
They are borne in mid to late summer on stems which grow to around 75cm high.
It is H4 hardy and spreads to 0.1-0.5m.
13) C. ‘Severn Sunrise’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Severn Sunrise’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERS: Orange and pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
The beautiful flowers on this plant start out a vibrant orange and fade to a pinker hue, giving the effect of a sunrise with their warm colouration.
They can bring a tropical and exotic flair to your garden and look great alongside vibrant daylilies, dahlias and gazanias.
This cultivar has a height of 0.5-1m and a spread of 0.1-0.5m.
It is H5 hardy and best in partial shade.
14) C. ‘Spitfire’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Spitfire’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red and orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
Reaching 0.6-1m in height and bearing vibrant reddish-orange flowers in the later half of summer, this cultivar is a fairly compact crocosmia with a well-behaved dwarfing growth habit, which is easy to keep in check in your garden.
This, along with the better-known ‘Lucifer’, was introduced in 1966 and has been gracing UK gardens for many years.2Plant Stories. (2020, August 15). Essex Gardens Trust. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from https://www.essexgardenstrust.org.uk/plant-stories
15) C. × crocosmiiflora ‘Star of the East’
- COMMON NAME(S): montbretia ‘Star of the East’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This cultivar has light orange flowers with paler yellow centres, which can grow to around 10cm across.
These are born on stems around 0.5-1m high in late summer.
This is a H4 hardy cultivar which can grow well in full sun or partial shade.
While the options on this list are amongst the most highly regarded crocosmia that you can grow here in the UK, there are, of course, plenty of other options to consider.
By looking at size, growth habit, colour and size, you can choose an option which might work best in your own particular garden.
