Montbertia in the garden?

Crock Rock

Good idea / bad idea?

I was planting Montbretia in the garden the other day (probably a bad time to plant flowers in hindsight). My neighbour peered over the wall and asked what I was planting, I told him. He nearly had a heart attack and told me that it's an invasive plant, effectively a weed. It'll siphon off nutrients to other plants and I'll never be able to get rid of it in future, should I choose to. He said I'll regret the day I ever planted it. Being a gentleman in his 70's, I respected his opinion which would be more educated than mine and removed it all.

He stressed the importance of making sure it was all up, he said to double and triple bag it in the brown bin and to make sure none of it is left behind.

He gave me tulips and daffodil bulbs (of which he had a surplus). I'll definitely plant those when the time's right. I have to look up when is the best time to do so. But they're only seasonal plants.


Anyone have a recommendation for a beautiful, low-maintenance year-round plant / flower? Fuscia perhaps?

I have heard mixed opinions about Montbretia, what are your thoughts?

Daisy 55

Is it wild montbretia or one you bought.

corner of hells

Crock Rock wrote: »

Good idea / bad idea?

I was planting Montbretia in the garden the other day (probably a bad time to plant flowers in hindsight). My neighbour peered over the wall and asked what I was planting, I told him. He nearly had a heart attack and told me that it's an invasive plant, effectively a weed. It'll siphon off nutrients to other plants and I'll never be able to get rid of it in future, should I choose to. He said I'll regret the day I ever planted it. Being a gentleman in his 70's, I respected his opinion which would be more educated than mine and removed it all.

He stressed the importance of making sure it was all up, he said to double and triple bag it in the green bin and to make sure none of it is left behind.

He gave me tulips and daffodil bulbs (of which he had a surplus). I'll definitely plant those when the time's right. I have to look up when is the best time to do so. But they're only seasonal plants.


Anyone have a recommendation for a beautiful, low-maintenance year-round plant / flower? Fuscia perhaps?

I have heard mixed opinions about Montbretia, what are your thoughts?

It's too late , you're fcuked.

Ever see "Day of the Triffids" , it's that combined with Godzilla.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Srameen could you come here please?

Crock Rock

Montbretia bad. Your neighbour is right.

A friend of mine gave me a few of hers, with roots still attached, she pulled it from her own garden. I was just going to place the roots in some soil at home in the garden. I had ten or eleven plants in total.

Flyingsnowball

Whenever I want to do something boring like that I go the shop and get a packet of chewing gum. Then I go to mass and put it under the seats.
Don’t judge me. You ain’t been in my shoes.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

There's a thread in the Gardening Forum on this. It's an absolute pest and very invasive in some areas. I have it and spend my time pulling clumps out and trying to confine it to one area of the garden. Some of the larger varieties aren't as bad but avoid Montbretia Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057942952


Overall, I'd say forget it.

Ipso

Nuke it from orbit to be sure.
Also, are hops considered an invasive species.

Flyingsnowball

Ipso wrote: »

Nuke it from orbit to be sure.
Also, are hops considered an invasive species.

The hops are the start of it. Soon you will have skips followed by jumps.

Still waters

I'm just after sowing loads of Japanese knotweed bulbs out the front of my house, can't wait for it to flower in the summer

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Ipso wrote: »

Nuke it from orbit to be sure.
Also, are hops considered an invasive species.

Not invasive, but male hop plants are a noxious weed under the 1965 Act.

LifeOfBwian

just have wosey dandwums myself.

Graces7

Montbretia is well loved by bees and is a bright and attractive flower. and what we plant in our own gardens and land is no one's business but ours. It is as the thread quoted shows not classed as dangerous! A lovely flower and cherished here .

As is a gunnera that was here also. A wonderful sight. In safe captivity!

Over and out on this!

I still have a few bulbs to give away...

prunudo

Tell him to mind his own business, yes it can multiply but so do snowdrops and bluebells. I'd be more worried about Japanese knotweed or bindweed, a small piece of root in the soil and it will take over in no time. Even bamboo can be bad if it gets out of control, rhizomes(roots) are very strong and can undermine walls over time.

Discodog

Graces7 wrote: »

Montbretia is well loved by bees and is a bright and attractive flower. and what we plant in our own gardens and land is no one's business but ours. It is as the thread quoted shows not classed as dangerous! A lovely flower and cherished here .

As is a gunnera that was here also. A wonderful sight. In safe captivity!

Over and out on this!

I still have a few bulbs to give away...

I once paid £250 for a large Gunnera in the UK for a client.

gozunda

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

The hops are the start of it. Soon you will have skips followed by jumps.

And whatever you do - don't plant Teazels. You'll be weeding the feckers out of your earhole for life!

Gunnera and Montbretia are classed as invasive /non native/ alien plant species. Cant be having aliens around the place :pac:

Degag

jvan wrote: »

Tell him to mind his own business

That wouldn't be very nice or neighbourly. The man was only trying to help.

blackbox

I've never seen Montbretia get out of control, but you might be best to ask in the gardening forum.

gozunda

blackbox wrote: »

I've never seen Montbretia get out of control, but you might be best to ask in the gardening forum.

Try Kerry ....

Muckka

I'd suggest the mountbretia Lucifer for its colour and size.

It's not as invasive as the one peppered all over dingle and the west coast...

Muckka

Vinca is good ground cover, it's variegated and green will grow in shade or semi shade.

Day Lewin

Montbretia can be an invader in the wild, given the right conditions.
In Kerry, for instance, it takes up a lot of space that is thus denied to native plant communities.

However in gardens this is not always the case; in my dry Dublin garden, Montbretia stays put in just 2 or 3 small spots and doesn't seem to multiply, while Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) roams wild, taking over every spare inch.

I like the orange flowers for cutting in late summer, too.

mvl

"In most domestic gardens it will out-compete the other plants in the flowerbed"
- I'd check for guidelines on Invasive Species Ireland or similar.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mod note: This subject would be best discussed in the Gardening forum. I'll close it up and move it there now.


Please note the change of forum and posting rules,


Buford T. Justice