Gladiolus , often affectionately have it away as glads , is a genus of ornamental perennial flowering plants in the iris family , Iridaceae . These plants are native to southern and central Africa and Eurasia . There are more than 300 species and many cultivated hybrid varieties of this bloom . Depending on the change of gladiolus , the adult height of the flower may be as unforesightful as 1.5 feet or as tall as 5 feet .
Gladiolus plants turn from a corm , a thick underground stem that resemble a drop bulb . The flowers of gladiolus are trump - work and can be red , pink , yellow , over-embellished , gullible , orange and white . These flowers are arranged in a spike along the stem , normally with the turgid blossom at the theme .
The plant fly high in moderate to warm up clime and are hardy in USDA zone 8 - 10 . They can as well be develop as annuals in cooler zones ( 2 - 7 ) and some salmagundi are even hardy to zone 4 or 5 .
To uprise gladiolus , plant the corms in well - drain dirt that is fertile in constitutive thing , with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5 . Plant the corms about 4 - 6 inches deep , with the unconditional side down , and space them 6 - 8 inches aside . The plant choose full sun and should be watered on a regular basis , keeping the dirt moist but not soggy .
In colder zones , gladiolus corms may not hold out winter out of doors and should be cut into up in the fall , after the foliage has been kill by frost . countenance the corms to dry for a couple of weeks , then store them in a cool , blue place until spring . In warmer zones ( 8 - 10 ) , gladiolus corm can be left in the ground over winter .
Gladiolus plants are not only beautiful in the garden but also make excellent slashed flowers . Their long stem and last blooms make them idealistic for tall vases and creative displays .
Varieties of gladiolus
Description
Gladiolus ‘ Charm ’
Gladiolus ‘ Charm ’ features rosaceous - pink flowers with cream - white pharynx , which are plant off by the bass green , blade - shaped leave of absence typical of gladioli . The heyday are format on spikes that can attain up to 70 cm in height . Suitable for growing in USDA zones 8 and warmer , but it can also be grown as an yearly in cool clime .
‘ Painted Lady ’ gladiolus
The ‘ Painted Lady ’ sword lily reaches a height of about 50 cm and produce beautiful flowers in early outpouring . Its curve blossom stems bear 4 - 8 pinkish flush , each adorned with frilly edge and rich crimson throat markings . This variety is a recent spring to summer bloomer .
Gladiolus‘Night Rider ’
Gladiolus ‘ Night Rider ’ typically maturate to a height of 3 to 6 feet , with brand - form leaves and a central spike heel of flowers . Flowers are cheeseparing - disastrous , velvety with a hint of violet or Burgundy wine . It is hardy in USDA zone 8 to 10 . bloom in early to June 21 , extend the blossoming season with private flowers afford sequentially from the bottom of the spike upward .
Gladiolus ‘ Star of Bethlehem ’
These flowers are large , wavy , and have a contrasting pink or lilac throat . This flush is notable for its abundant blossom on straight , vertical flower stalks . They are hardy in USDA zones 8 through 11 and can be found in spring once the danger of frost has passed . Each flower stalk of the gladiolus plant may contain between one and 30 funnel shape - form blooms .
Gladiolus ‘ Alaska ’
Gladiolus ‘ Alaska ’ has softly ruffled , pure blank flowers reminiscent of Alaskan snow . Each flower spike has up to 12 blooms and can rise among the erect , narrow-minded , inscrutable - green sword - shaped farewell . These plant are spectacular on their own in a summer garden or in a vase , and they leave a long - lasting floral display as the flowers open from the bottom of the spike up .
Gladiolus ‘ Avalanche ’
The Gladiolus ‘ Avalanche ’ get pure clean flowers . The flower are large and trump - shaped , and they grow on tall spike heel . The Gladiolus ‘ Avalanche ’ is a popular for cut flowers , and it is also a beautiful gain to the garden .
Gladiolus ‘ Green Star ’
The Gladiolus ‘ Green Star ’ is a unequalled variety of gladiolus . It has lime - green blooms , which are copiously ruffled . This variety is specially attractive due to its sword - shaped leaves and the style the flowers open from the bottom of the spike up . This industrial plant is not fully hardy and may need to be lift in fall in zones 3 - 7 to be overwintered indoors or protected with a thick mulch .
Gladiolus ‘ Traderhorn ’
Gladiolus ‘ Traderhorn ’ develop large , dramatic crimson flowers with a snowy center . This motley has tall heyday stalks that need staking to forestall them from flopping and becoming untempting . The flora is intrepid in zona 7a-10b and thrives in full sun .
Gladiolus nanus ‘ Prins Claus ’
Gladiolus nanus ‘ Prins Claus ’ belong to the nanus chemical group of gladioli , which grow two to three blossoming stanch per corm , with four to six flowers open at any one time . This multifariousness features pure white flush that are score with pinkish ellipse , kick in an appearance as if water system droplets are outlined in red - orange on the buff - shaped lower petals . It is a popular for both borders and curve blossom arrangements , especially when paired with cool reds , pinks , and purpleness .
Gladiolus ‘ Nanus Hybrids ’
Gladiolus ‘ Nanus Hybrids ’ are a group of midget glad . These gladioli develop no larger than about 2 pes in height . They are smaller than those of large - flowered gladioli . They come in coloration of pinkish , white , carmine , scandalmongering , and orange . These cross are hardy to Zone 5 and are acknowledge for producing a eminent phone number of flowers despite their small stature .
Gladiolus ‘ Blue Moon ’
Gladiolus ‘ Blue Moon ’ is n’t actually a single mixture , but rather a intermixture of unlike gladiolus kind that grow peak in shades of blue and purple . They are audacious in zones 7 , 8 , 9 , and 10 , but can be grown in all zones as long as the corm are lifted and hive away for the wintertime in inhuman regions .
Gladiolus ‘ Dykhanie Oseni ’
Gladiolus ‘ Dykhanie Oseni ’ is a gladiolus cultivar bred by Vasiliev in 2007 . The name translates from Russian to “ Breath of Autumn ” and the flowers are a beautiful portmanteau word of orange , yellow , and red .
Gladiolus Illyricus
The Gladiolus Illyricus , also known as the wild gladiolus . This works grows up to 50 - 100 centimetre grandiloquent and features minute , grass - like , and steel - shaped leaves . The flowers are magenta regal with white markings on the lower 3 lobes , and they bloom from April to August . This plant thrives in heaths , scrub , and open forest in its native region .
Gladiolus ‘ Priscilla ’
Gladiolus ‘ Priscilla ’ is a cultivar of Gladiolus ( Gladiolus x gandavensis ) that has tricolored flowers . These florets , over a dozen per stem , are arranged on strong and tumid spikes having point blade - like leave . The flowers have a white setting with pink edges and a soft scandalmongering throat . This cultivar is popular for both garden border and pots . It thrives in full Lord’s Day and prefers to have batch of water during the growing season , but can still grow successfully in fond shade .
Gladiolus ‘ Red Cascade ’
The Gladiolus ‘ Red Cascade ’ has a profusion of bud on each stem , which split open to reveal big crimson funnel shape - work efflorescence . The blossom cascade down the side of the plant . They blossom in late spring to former summer .
Gladiolus ‘ Tantastic ’
This particular cultivar has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit ( AGM ) by the Royal Horticultural Society ( RHS ) . It boast ruffled , recondite Salmon River - orange blooms with a contrasting white-livered pharynx . It is good for summer borders , where they will add together a plash of people of colour and pursuit .
Gladiolus ‘ Chocolate Ripple ’
The Gladiolus ‘ Chocolate Ripple ’ has deep pink and purple blossom with a rippled effect . The flowers bloom on tall ear that can reach up to 40 - 50 inches in height . They are hardy in zones 8 - 10 but can be process as annuals or protected with a dense layer of mulch in other areas .
Gladiolus ‘ Byzantinus ’
The Gladiolus ‘ Byzantinus ’ , also normally called the Byzantine Gladiolus feature minute , sword - shaped basal leaves and vertical flowering spikes that can grow up to 2 - 3 feet tall . The flowers are funnel - shaped and can be a cooking stove of colors , let in Battle of Magenta , pink , purple , and maroon . They typically bloom in late springiness to early summertime .
Gladiolus ‘ Columbine ’
The flowers of Gladiolus ‘ Columbine ’ are typically a soft peach colouration , but they can also range from pale pink to deep orange . The prime have a frail , ruffled show and bloom in mid to former summer . This sort is appreciated for its tall growth , reaching between 2 to 5 groundwork .
Gladiolus ‘ Blue Ice ’
Gladiolus ‘ Blue Ice ’ has marvelous foresighted green stems with long green leaves and beautiful blue / purple flowers with a white throat . These plant prefer full sun and well - drained , sandy loam soil .
Gladiolus ‘ Princess Margaret Rose ’
Gladiolus ‘ Princess Margaret Rose ’ is a cultivar of Gladiolus which features torrid live colors , a intermixture of red , orangish and yellow flowers . The ruffled peak are arranged nearly and symmetrically on strong and tumid spikes adorned by pointed blade - comparable leaves .
Gladiolus ‘ Black Velvet ’
The Gladiolus ‘ Black Velvet ’ produces deep blue - purple flowers with a velvety texture . It has grandiloquent , slender stanch with sword - influence leaves . The flush bloom in the summer and are popular for use in weakened flower arrangements .
Gladiolus ‘ Gartengladiole Apricot ’
The Gladiolus ‘ Gartengladiole Apricot ’ is a tall gladiolus variety that features apricot - colored blooms with slimly ruffled petal . The bloom are large and trumpet - shaped , with six petals . They can grow up to 4 feet tall and bloom in the summertime .
Gladiolus Bonaspei
Gladiolus bonaspei , also sometimes denote to as Watsonia pilosa grows to about 30 - 40 atomic number 96 tall . The blossom of Gladiolus bonaspei are orange , but can also be yellow-bellied , with darker markings in the pharynx , and put up in a loose spindle .
Gladiolus carmineus
The Gladiolus carmineus , also known as the Cliff Gladiolus produces clusters of 4 - 5 starry , brainy rose - pink blooms on each flowering stem in the fall . Each of the lower petals has a white ancestry streak down their center surrounded by a wan mauve anchor ring . The ravishing blossoms emerge before the foliage of gray - green , narrow , arching leafage .
Abyssinian gladiolus
The Abyssinian gladiolus , also known as fragrant gladiola ( Gladiolus murielae ) features long , sword - shape green leaves . In previous summer or early nightfall , it produces brilliant white flowers with a prominent purple splotch at their ticker . The star - comparable flower are well - spaced and utter a delightful fragrancy .
Marsh gladiolus
The marsh gladiolus , also known as Gladiolus palustris thrives in moist and humus - fat environments that are alternately wet and dry , such as wet hayfield and wood clearing . It features erect , unbranched stems with glabrous ( hairless ) leaves that are shaped like a steel . The flowers are a beautiful rosy violet or magenta color , and the works blooms in the spring , typically from May to July .
