Montbretia

Crocosmia

Also called Tritonia. These Iris relatives are corms, forming fast growing clumps composed of sword shaped, semi-evergreen leaves.
The funnel-shaped flowers, from 1 to 2 inches in length, are borne on arching spikes during mid summer. Crocosmias are great plants for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. They make great cut flowers.
These perennials are easy to grow in full sun ( or partial shade ) on just about any light, humus-rich, fertile, well drained soil and are propagated from division during mid-autumn or early spring. Plants bloom best when divided every 2 to 3 years, they multiply rapidly with ideal conditions. Some species are so vigorous, that they may even become invasive in some places including New Zealand. The ideal planting depth for the bulbs is 4 inches.
Prune old and tattered leaves off during early spring.
Deep winter mulch or snow cover is essential during winter to protect the roots. Mulch heavily during the first winter.
Planting during late spring is recommended to give the plant time to establish before the following winter.
In zones 1 to 4; the fleshy roots can be lifted and wintered indoors in the same way as Cannas. The corms should be planted back out in the garden 6 inches deep on light,
fertile, well drained soil during spring after the last frost. In mild climates, the corms can also be planted during autumn.
Crocosmias are not eaten by deer and are not usually bothered by pests or disease either though spider mites may sometimes occur.

* photos of unknown internet source



Crocosmia aurea
Forms a fast growing clump, reaching a maximum size of 4 x 4 ( rarely over 3 ) feet.
The large flowers are glowing bright yellow.
Hardy zones 6 to 10

Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora
The hybrids between C. aurea & C. pottsii; forming clumps reaching a maximum size of 4 x 5 feet, with leaves up to 3 feet x 1 inch. The bright green foliage is evergreen in mild climates.
The large, yellow to scarlet-red flowers are borne during late summer.
Hardy zones 6 to 9 in full sun to partial shade. Mulch well during winter in cool climates.

* photos taken on July 7 2011 in Columbia, MD



'Bressingham Beacon'
Reaches up to 3.5 x 3 feet with orange and yellow bicolor flowers.

'Bressingham Blaze'
Intense orange-red flowers.

'Bright Eyes'
Dwarf in habit, reaching a maximum height of 20 inches, with linear deep green leaves and orange ( red eyed ) flowers borne mid to late summer.

* photo taken on Aug 29 2013 in Clarksville, MD

'Cast Leward'
Vigorous and clumping, reaching up to 5 feet with green foliage and dark stems bearing pendulous, deep orange-red flowers.

'Citronella'
Light yellow flowers.

'Constance'
Reaches up to 2.5 feet with yellow and red bicolor flowers borne during summer.

'Culsean Reach'
Floppy and upright in habit, reaching up to 3.5 feet, with narrow green leaves and peach-red, tubular flowers.

'Custard Cream'
Forms a clump of deep green foliage bearing late season flowers that are orange in bud, opening to yellow.

'Emberglow'
Reaches up to 3 x 3+ feet with very large, deep orange-red ( centered yellow ) flowers.

'Emily McKenzie'
Fast growing and reaching a maximum size of 5 x 6 feet, with long-lasting, intense orange ( centered red ), trumpet-shaped flowers borne during late summer. Can be mixed with 'Lucifer'.

'George Davidson'
Reaches a maximum height of 4 feet, with small, intense bright yellow flowers.

'Jenny Bloom'
Reaches up to 3.5 x 3 feet, with intense deep yellow flowers.

'Lucifer'
Reaches a maximum size of 6 x 7 ( rarely over 3 ) feet, with sword-shaped leaves and nodding, small, scarlet-red flowers borne mid summer to early autumn.
Hardy zones 7 to 9 ( 5 & 6 if very sheltered & mulched - do not cut back old foliage until spring ) in full sun.
Looks great combined with Moonbeam Coreopsis.

* photo taken on Aug 24 2010 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on May 3 2012 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on July 6 2013 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Aug 1 2013 in Stratford, Ontario

* photo taken on Aug 8 2014 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on May 30 2015 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on July 19 2015 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 30 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on July 2 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on June 28 2022 in Catonsville, MD

* photos taken on July 1 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on June 25 2023 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on July 15 2023 in Columbia, MD

'Morning Light'
Short and compact, only reaching up to 2.5 feet in height.
The drooping foliage is green and the flowers are bright yellow.

'Norwich Canary'
Reaches up to 2.5 x 2.5 feet with bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers borne mid summer into early autumn.

'Prince of Orange'
Reaches up to 3 feet with intense deep orange flowers during mid to late summer.

'Queen of Spain'
Upright and dense, reaching up to 3 feet, with narrow green leaves and large but sparse intense orange-red flowers.

'Saracen'
Very compact, reaching up to 2.5 feet, with bronze-olive green leaves and nooding flowers that are pinkish-orange with yellow centers.

'Severn Sunrise'
Upright in habit, reaching up to 4 feet, with mid-green leaves and peachy-orange flowers.

'Solfatare'
Dense, upright and clumping, reaching up to 2.7 feet.
Foliage is bronze and the flowers are apricot-orange eventually fading to yellow.

'Spitfire'
Upright in habit, reaching up to 2 feet, with green foliage and bright orange flowers.

'Star of the East'
Upright ( to 4 feet ) and running in habit with green, medium-width foliage and very large, tangerine-orange flowers up to 3 inches across each. The flowers are borne during early autumn.

'Venus'
Reaches up to 2.5 feet in height, with apricot-orange flowers during mid to late summer.

'Vulcan'
Reaches up to 3 feet with orangish-red flowers.

'Walberton Yellow'
Reaches up to 2 feet in height, with brilliant yellow flowers borne all summer long.

'Zeal Tan'
Moderately slow growing and upright in habit, reaching up to 3 feet.
The dark stems bear orange-red flowers.

Crocosmia masonorum
Forms a clump, reaching a maximum size of 5 x 5 feet, with fine textured leaves up to 3 feet in length.
The broad, erectly held flowers are fiery orange-red. They are borne over a long season.
Hardy zones 7 to 9 ( reported of 3 to 6 on sheltered sites and heavily mulched ).

'Blaze'
Very compact in habit, reaching up to 3 feet, with green leaves and bright orange flowers.

'Rowallane Yellow'
Upright and floppy, reaching up to 4 feet with broad leaf blades and early season yellow-orange flowers.

Crocosmia pottsii
Forms a clump, reaching a maximum size of 4 x 3 feet, composed of broad leaves, up to 1.5 feet in length.
The bright yellow ( with red flushing ) flowers are borne on erect inflorescences during mid-summer.
Hardy zones 7 to 9

Comfrey

Symphytum

Symphytum ( Comfrey )
Highly ornamental, tough perennials, closely related to Pulmonarias but much taller.
Comfrey grows in full sun or partial shade ( tolerates full shade ) preferring fertile, moist soil though will grow in just about anything. They are deer resistant. They are easy to reproduce from root cuttings. Using this method, in a few years you will be giving away Comfrey plants to the entire neighborhood. Most plants do not reliably form viable seed so propagation from seed is not a reliable form of reproduction. Older clumps can also be divided during autumn. These plants are very long lived and persistant.
Comfrey makes an excellent forage plant and is fed to racehorses to bring them into peak condition. Comfrey is among the best of all plants for the production of plant proteins. An acre of Comfrey yields as much as 6 times as much protein as Soybeans. It has high Vitamin B content ( rare for vegetables ) and is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C as well as Potassium, Phosphorus and Calcium.
The leaves can be used in a green drink or smoothie.
Comfrey plants contain a substance called allantoin which is a cell growth stimulator. Comfrey is excellent for use in stopping bleeding and speeding up the healing of ulcers, burns and wounds. Comfrey juice is beneficial for the skin.
Very productive plants, up to 50 tons of green matter may be produced on an acre in a single season. It can be used for the production of methane with the additional by-product of nitrogen rich fertilizer. The leaves are high in nitrogen content and make a great green manure. The vigorous root system is great for breaking up compacted soils. New home owners can sow a mixture of Comfrey and Clover ( roots fix nitrogen ) to prepare the soil for an outstanding future garden or home farm.

* photos of unknown internet source



Symphytum asperum ( Prickly Comfrey )
A deeply-rooted perennial, reaching a maximum size of 6 x 7 feet, that is native from Turkey to the Caucasus; south to northern Iran. It has naturalized locally in North America to as far north as Juneau, Alaska and Quebec City in Canada.
The coarse, hairy, elliptical leaves are up to 10 inches in length.
The pale pink aging to blue, tubular flowers are borne in drooping cymes during late spring to late summer.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 ( 3 on protected sites ) in sun or shade on any, deep, fertile, well drained soil.

* prickly comfrey in Lions Head, ON

* USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Symphytum azureum
Reaches up to 20 inches x 2 feet, with rich green foliage that is topped in pure blue, bell-shaped flowers.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in partial to full shade on moist, fertile soil. Tolerant of deep shade.

Symphytum caucasicum ( Blue Comfrey )
A very fast growing to invasive, rhizomatous perennial, reaching a maximum size of 40 x 32 inches, that is native to the Caucasus.
The coarse, hairy, elliptical leaves, up to 10 ( rarely over 8 ) inches in length, are green.
The tubular, bright blue flowers, up to 0.5 inches in length, are borne in drooping cymes during spring into early summer. It sometimes blooms again during late summer if old flowering stems are deadheaded.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in partial to full shade on moist, fertile soil.

* photos taken on May 27 2017 @ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

Symphytum grandiflorum ( Large-Flowered Comfrey )
Also called Symphytum ibericum. A rapid spreading but not invasive, rhizomatous, groundcover perennial, reaching up to 2 x 4 feet, that is native from northeast Turkey to the Caucasus. It spreads underground with stolons.
The coarse, hairy, elliptical leaves, up to 10 inches in length, are rich deep green.
The foliage is great for forming a weed smothering carpet.
The profuse, creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers, up to 0.6 inches in length, are borne in drooping cymes during mid to late spring.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in sun or shade, tolerating drought but more vigorous on moist soil. Tolerant of deep shade and dry shade. Propagation is from division during early spring.

* photos taken on Apr 23 2017 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

Goldsmith'
Reaches up to 3 x 3 feet, with showy, deep green leaves, up to 18 x 6 inches, that are edged in yellow.
The flowers, up to 0.7 inches in length, during late spring into early summer, are pink in bud, opening to white and blue.

'Hidcote Blue'
Blue flowers.

'Hidcote Pink'
Pink flowers.

Symphytum officinale ( Common Comfrey )
A fast growing to invasive, robust perennial, reaching a maximum size of 5 x 7 ( rarely over 4 x 6 ) feet, that is native to France. It has naturalized locally in North America to as far north as Juneau, Alaska and Quebec City, Canada.
The coarse, hairy, elliptical leaves, up to 10 inches in length, are deep green.
The tubular, yellowish-white, pink or purple flowers are borne in drooping cymes during early summer ( sometimes repeating into early autumn ).
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in partial to full shade on moist, fertile soil. The roots fix their own nitrogen.

* photo taken on May 5 2010 @ McCrillis Gardens, Bethesda, MD

* photo taken on May 21 2022 in Ellicott City, MD

Symphytum orientale
A fast growing to invasive, short-lived, rhizomatous perennial, reaching a maximum size of 28 x 40 inches, that is native to western Asia ( from Turkey to the Caucasus ).
The coarse, hairy, elliptical leaves, up to 5.5 inches in length, are mid-green.
The tubular, white flowers are borne in drooping cymes during early summer.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in partial to full shade on moist, fertile soil though tolerant of dry shade. Frequently self seeds.

Symphytum rubrum ( Red Flowered Comfrey )
An excellent, fast growing, groundcover perennial, reaching a maximum size of 1.5 x 2 feet, that is native to Armenia.
The coarse, hairy, elliptical leaves are deep green.
The tubular, deep red flowers are borne in drooping cymes all summer long.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in partial to full shade on moist, fertile soil

Symphytum tuberosum
A rhizomatous perennial, reaching a maximum size of 2 x 3.5 feet, that is a widespread native of woodlands and riverbanks in Europe ( from the British Isles to Russia; south to Spain to Turkey ).
The leaves are up to 10 inches in length. The foliage goes dormant during summer.
The pale yellow flowers, up to 0.8 inches in length, are borne during late spring into early summer. Hardy zones 5 to 8 in sun or shade.

Symphytum x uplandicum ( Russian Comfrey )
The very fast growing hybrid between Symphytum asperum & S. officiale, forming a very attractive, huge, rhizomatous perennial, reaching a maximum size of 10 x 6 ( rarely over 7 x 4 ) feet.
The coarse, hairy, elliptical leaves, up to 2 feet in length, are borne on winged stems. The foliage is glossy deep green.
The tubular, rosey-pink ( later turning bluish-purple ) flowers, up to 0.7 inches long, are borne in drooping cymes during early to mid summer.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 ( tolerating as low as -40 F ) in partial to full shade on moist, fertile soil. If foliage looks worn and tired after blooming, cut entire plant to ground and new foliage will appear and lasting until freezing weather occurs later in autumn.

* photos taken @ U.S. Botanical Garden, Wash., DC on Aug 25 2014

* photo taken on May 26 2025 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Apr 24 2025 in Ellicott City, MD

* photo taken on June 5 2025 in Ellicott City, MD

'Axminster Gold'
Shorter in stature ( 4 feet ) but with the same spectacular oversized ( 2 foot ) foliage with a twist - it is boldly margined in creamy-yellow. The bold colorful foliage makes this a great substitute for Hostas where hungry deer abound.

'Variegatum'
Mid green foliage that is edged in creamy-white; it is otherwise nearly identical to the species.
The flowers are purplish-pink.

Trachystemon

Trachystemon orientalis ( Russian Borage )
Also called Black Sea Comfrey. A relative of the Pulmonarias, forming a very fast growing to invasive groundcover, forming a dense clump, up to 4 x 7 ( rarely over 2 ) feet in size. The Eastern Borage is native to wet deciduous forests from Bulgaria to the western Caucasus.
The hairy, heart-shaped leaves, up to 20 x 12 ( rarely over 12 x 7 ) inches, are deep green.
The purplish-blue, starry flowers, up to 0.7 inches across, are borne on on open sprays on short stalks before the foliage during early spring.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in sun or shade on just about any soil though preferring moist and humus-rich. It prefers moist shade but will tolerate dry shade making an excellent large scale groundcover for under trees. Deer do not like to graze on this. Propagation is from seed or division while dormant.

* photos of unknown internet source




'Sundew'
Similar to species but typically forming a foliage clump of just 1 x 4 feet with bright yellow foliage that fors stunning contrast with the blue flowers. It is a selection from Plant Delights Nursery in North Carolina.