Crocosmia, also widely known by its common name Montbretia, is a striking perennial prized for its fiery red, orange, and yellow tubular flowers. These vibrant, trumpet-shaped blooms rise on arching stems above clumps of linear, sword-like foliage, providing a dramatic display from mid-to-late summer. Integrating Crocosmia into a garden requires careful selection of companions. This guide focuses on practical and aesthetic strategies for pairing plants to create a cohesive and stunning garden design.
Matching Growth Conditions
Successful companion planting requires ensuring all plants share similar environmental needs to thrive together. Crocosmia requires full sun to partial shade; while it tolerates some shade, the most prolific flowering occurs when the plant receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Planting in full sun is important in cooler climates to encourage robust blooming.
The soil must be fertile, humus-rich, and consistently moist yet well-drained. Crocosmia corms will rot if left in waterlogged conditions, so heavy clay soil should be amended with organic matter or grit to improve drainage. The plant exhibits moderate drought tolerance once established, but regular watering during the growing season promotes vigorous growth.
Visual Pairings for Color and Texture
The intense, warm colors of Crocosmia are often best complemented by colors on the opposite side of the color wheel. Companion plants with deep blue or purple flowers create a cooling contrast that makes the fiery tones appear saturated. Excellent choices for this color pairing include tall, spiky perennials like blue or purple Salvia (Sage) and Veronica.
Texture contrast is also important, as the rigid, linear foliage and spiky flower wands of Crocosmia can look stiff. Pairing them with plants that feature soft, mounding, or rounded leaves helps to balance the composition. In sunny spots, low-growing Sedum varieties offer a rounded profile and succulent texture that offsets the upright blades of the Montbretia.
For areas with partial shade, large-leaved Hostas or low-growing Geraniums (Cranesbills) provide a broad, softer texture near the base of the Crocosmia foliage. The subtle, silvery foliage of plants like Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina) or Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) visually softens the display while providing a neutral backdrop that highlights the vibrant blooms.
Extending the Garden Season
To maintain interest, succession planting involves choosing companions that bloom before or after Crocosmia’s mid-to-late summer peak. Early-summer bloomers can provide color while the Crocosmia foliage is still maturing. For instance, the bright, daisylike flowers of Tickseed (Coreopsis) or the colorful blooms of Daylilies (Hemerocallis) offer this early seasonal interest.
As the Crocosmia flowers fade in early fall, incorporating late-season bloomers ensures the garden continues to look vibrant. Ornamental grasses, such as Miscanthus, provide fine texture and movement, and their seed heads remain visually appealing well into the winter. Asters, particularly the lavender-blue Frikart’s Aster, bloom from mid-summer into the fall, extending the garden’s color palette after the Montbretia has finished.