Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
montbretia
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Monocots
Flower colours
Orange, Red/Pink
Detailed description
Stiff, leafy, clump-forming, evergreen or summergreen perennial with underground rhizomes. Corms flattened, 35 x 15 mm, fibrous cover, light brown, in 3+ clusters at stem base. Leaves all arising from base, erect to curving above, 90 x 2 cm, firm, sword-shaped, mid-vein conspicuous. Flowerhead tall, zig-zag shaped. Flowers solitary, 6 petals, 3 cm long, orange to crimson, Jan-Feb. Seed capsule 3-sided, 5 mm long; with reddish-brown, flat-triangular, 3 mm seeds.
Similar taxa
Similar to several other monocot herbs with orange flowers. Tends to have a droopy habit and has flowers arranged in a single plane. Lacks the Bulbils of Watsonia bulbilifera. Chasmanthe floribunda is also similar but leaves and stems are more robust.
Habitat
Terrestrial. Prefers moist soils (Fromont and King, 1992). Streams, forest margins, alluvial plains, roadsides, gravel pits, wasteland, slips, light gaps, shrublands (Fromont and King, 1992).
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Iridaceae
Ecology
Flowering
January, February
Year naturalised
1935
Origin
Tropical South America
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Tolerances
Moderate to highly tolerant of shade; tolerant of frost and moderately dry conditions (Fromont and King, 1992).
Life cycle and dispersal
Perennial; produces strap-like leaves in winter which die down in the summer months (Fromont and King, 1992). Reproduces by two means: produces small cormils on the flower head and sends out creeping rhizomes to extend the colony (Fromont and King, 1992). New cormils are also produced on the original corms which are able to be transported by any soil disturbance (ibid.). Produces no seed, dispersed by soil movement (road graders, fill), vegetation dumping, water movement (ibid).
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Extra information
This plant is also called ‘Minnie Dean’ in Southland.
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.