Crocosmia 'Emily McKenzie'

Crocosmia 'Emily McKenzie' (also known as Montbretia) is a celebrated RHS Award of Garden Merit winner, prized for its large, flamboyant blooms and reliable late-summer performance.

Key Characteristics

• Flowers: Features vibrant deep orange, star-shaped blooms with a striking dark mahogany or reddish-purple throat.
• Height: Typically reaches 60cm to 85cm (approx. 24-33 inches).
• Bloom Period: Provides essential colour from late summer into autumn (typically August to October).
• Foliage: Elegant, mid-green sword-shaped leaves that provide vertical interest throughout the season.
• Usage: Perfect for adding height and movement to borders, it is also a long-lasting cut flower, often lasting up to two weeks in a vase.

Cultivation & Care

• Position: Performs best in full sun to partial shade. While sun promotes better flowering, it can tolerate some shade.
• Soil: Thrives in moist but well-drained soil. Avoid extremely hot or dry conditions.
• Planting: Best planted in spring (after frost). Place corms approximately 8-10cm deep and space them 10-15cm apart in groups for maximum impact.
• Hardiness: Rated as hardy (H4), surviving most UK winters, though a thick layer of mulch is recommended in colder regions to protect the crown.
• Maintenance: Congested clumps should be lifted and divided in spring every 3-5 years to maintain vigour and flowering.