Gladiolus

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Common Name

Sword Lily

Scientific Name

Gladiolus

Plant Category

Perennial

Location

South Africa, Eurasia

Height

8-12 inches

Width

2-5 inches

Blooming Season

Summer

Plant Habit

Upright

Color

White, pink, red, purple, yellow, orange, salmon, green or bi-colors

Sun

Partial shade to full sun

Soil

Medium moist soil

Water

Moderate

Plant Characteristics

Some parts of the plant are poisonous. Flowers are fragrant.

Usage

Used in floral arrangements and excellent as cut flowers.

Information

The genus Gladiolus comprises 260 species, 250 of which are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa. About 10 species are native to Eurasia. Gladioluses produce tall spikes of large blossoms, in a rainbow of colors. Gladioluses grow from corms. A corm is a shortened and thickened section of the stem that appears at the base of the plant. On the corm are buds for each layer of leaves. The fragrant flowers spikes are large and one-sided, with secund, bisexual flowers. Each flower is subtended by 2 leathery, green bracts. The sepals and the petals are almost identical in appearance, and are termed tepals. They are united at their base into a tube-shaped structure. The dorsal tepal is the largest, arching over the three stamens. The outer three tepals of the Gladiolus are narrower.  

Growing Tips

Gladioluses can be propagated by dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs. The seeds should be sowed in early spring, in a well-drained flat 8 to 10 inches deep, that is filled with two thirds loam and one third leaf mold or peat moss, with a good amount of sand added. Plant the seeds an inch apart and cover with about 1/4-inch of the soil. Apply a layer of mulch such as straw, grass clippings, or pine needles to help keep weeds down. Mulch will also help conserve moisture in the soil, cutting down on surface evaporation.

Common Problems

Gladioluses are susceptible to a number of diseases and prey to insects. It is best to start with sound corms to minimize the chances of diseases or insect problems. Practice crop rotation if possible. If the leaves appear streaky, or if flowers fail to open or look discolored, the problem is probably thrips. Thrips are tiny insects that overwinter on stored corms. They use rasping mouthparts to feed on gladiolus foliage and flowers, often while the flowers are still in the bud. Spray the plants when you first see damage, using acephate (Orthene and others) or carbaryl (Sevin). The best way to control thrips is to treat the corms as they go into storage. There are several methods you can try, including keeping the corms cool enough.