Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora (Montbretia)

Derived from the South African species Crocosmia aurea and Crocosmia pottsii, this clumping perennial hybrid grows from underground corms. It also occurs naturally where its parents grow together in South Africa. Long, sword-shaped leaves surround branching, arching flower stems. Orange to reddish flowers open successively in two rows along the branches, each with a tubular base and six spreading lobes. Small, three-lobed capsules turn brown as they mature. Widely grown in gardens and for cut flowers, it can spread vigorously and has escaped cultivation in tropical and temperate regions, including Colombia and Britain. Photographed in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador.