Gladiolus grandiflorus Tineke - Sword Lily

Gladiolus 'Tineke' is a large-flowered gladiolus with a vibrant red colour, selected for use as a cut flower. Its upright spikes, adorned with large, intensely red corollas, bring a fantastic colour to both contemporary and more classic displays. This easy-to-grow summer bulb is an ideal variety for creating large, elegant cut flower arrangements that last for several weeks.

This gladiolus belongs to the Gladiolus genus, from the Iridaceae family, largely native to southern Africa.
'Tineke' is a complex hybrid classified in the horticultural group of large-flowered gladioli, characterised by long spikes bearing large, widely open flowers, aligned on one side of the stem. It reaches about 1 metre in height when in flower. Its sturdy flowering stems emerge from green, narrow, lanceolate foliage. The 10-12 cm diameter flowers display a bright, deep, and uniform red, which highlights the pale stamens; they open from the bottom to the top of the spike. Flowering is staggered from July to September, depending on the planting date. The upright foliage forms a fan around the stems. The plant is deciduous: the vegetation dries out at the end of the season, and the corm enters dormancy; in cold climates, they should be lifted to be overwintered in a dry place.

In the garden, Gladiolus 'Tineke' is best planted in rows or small clumps in borders or at the back of mixed borders. It pairs particularly well with dark dahlias such as 'Karma Choc' or with the violet sage 'Amistad'. You can lighten the overall effect with the airy plumes of Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah', and with annuals like Cosmos 'Rubenza'.
In a vase, play the monochrome card: red gladioli, raspberry-red calla 'Red Alert', a few branches of purple cotinus 'Royal Purple', and some fresh green foliage from butcher's broom, for example, for a very contemporary, large cut flower arrangement.

The Gladiolus genus takes its name from the Latin gladius, meaning sword; in the Netherlands, gladioli are even presented to walkers who complete the "Four Days Marches of Nijmegen", extending their ancient symbolism of strength and victory.