By Crb
Berkshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi,
My wife, a keen gardener, died last year and I am a complete gardening novice. One of the many queries I have is the identification of this plant. Its leaves are deciduous and are similar in appearance to Gladioli leaves. The plants emanate from bulbs (corms?). It is widespread in my garden and takes up a lot of room. The flowers are attractive, but do not justify the space the plants take up.
One neighbour thinks it is a weed.
Thanks in advance for any reply.
CRB
14 Aug, 2014
Answers
It's Montbretia or Crocosmia as I think it's now called. This is the most common one and can be invasive. If you have room plant it against a hedge and let it have it's way, if not the only alternative is to give it away or throw it out.
They do come in other lovely colours.
It grows from corms which multiply madly!
14 Aug, 2014
one mans weed is another ones flowers! lol I agree with both of the postings. Sorry for your loss but hope you are getting comfort from being in the garden and enjoying the plants your wife placed in there.
I have just done a blog on Crocosmia/Montbretia as they were once called which are in my borders . (I love the plants) Take a look and if you can get onto the Crocosmia Gardens website you will see there are lots of Hybrids which are less invasive. I have this one and it is a right thug but in my big borders it is not a problem for me (YET) LOL.
On holidays in Cornwall we saw it all over in the hedgerows (as Bamboo said) and it made them extra pretty.
14 Aug, 2014
You can always ask questions and read the blogs here, have a chat if you feel like it, so sorry you lost your wife.
14 Aug, 2014
All true! It is a glorious colour when in flower but there are an awful lot of leaves. I have one called, I think, Emily Bradshaw, which is a similar basic rich orange but with far less leaves and a more interesting flower. I have a picture but don't know how to load it, sorry. Bamboo, do you mean Lucifer? Or is Red Devil another one. My knowledge is very limited!
14 Aug, 2014
Cornishsally - google Crocosmia images or Crocosmia Red Devil and any other crocosmia you want to id. lots of lovely pictures to see the different ones on google etc.
14 Aug, 2014
Many thanks for all your friendly and knowlegeable replies.
I am impressed.
CRB
14 Aug, 2014
Theres a lot of knowledge on this site, fun too and very nice people ☺
15 Aug, 2014
http://www.trecanna.com/search.asp?menuoption=crocos
Lots of Crocosmia there.
15 Aug, 2014
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I am sorry for your loss - must be hard trying to pick up the gardening along with everything else you've been through.
This is Crocosmia masonorum - it spreads widely, as you've noticed, and is almost a hedgerow plant in places like Cornwall, Devon and other parts of the UK. There are much better modern hybrids (Crocosmia Red Devil for instance) with more striking flowers and a higher ratio of flower to leaf, but all spread quite rapidly in soil they like, so need to be dug up and some removed or given away about every 3 years.
14 Aug, 2014