The vibrant colour of the montbretia flowers adds a touch of life even to the dullest and drabbest of environments. But this beautiful plant is categorized as a ‘noxious plant’ due to its rapid manifestation and the damage it causes to its neighbouring vegetation and the soils. Montbretia has swollen bulbous underground stems from which new plants germinate. The profuse reproduction overpowers the growth of other plants and damages the soil to a great extent and causes soil erosion, sedimentation and stream banks are know to have collapsed due to this plant.

Monbretia derives its name from the Greek word ‘krokos’ meaning ‘saffron’ and ‘osme’ which means ‘smell’. The name refers to the fragrance of the flowers which smell like saffron when immersed in water. This bulbous perennial plant bears green spear-like leaves which grow from the base of the plant. The flowers are of bright red or orange colours which are arranged in clusters of about a dozen or so flowers with the flowers at the tip blooming first. These hermaphroditic flowers blossom throughout the summer and autumn.

The herb montbretia was a native of South Africa but now it can be found all over the world. It can be grown in any type of soil and in any climatic condition.