Gladiolus grandiflorus Tom - Sword Lily

Gladiolus 'Tom', from the Glamini/Gladdies® collection, is a compact gladiolus with bright purplish-red flowers, borne on short stems that won't topple over at the first gust of wind. This summer bulb produces up to around twenty tightly packed flowers on each spike. In borders, beds and cut flower arrangements, this small gladiolus creates a red accent that won't fade under the full summer sun.

Belonging to the Iridaceae family, gladiolus is a perennial with a corm, native to southern Africa and the Mediterranean region. Like most horticultural hybrids, 'Tom' is cultivated in Europe as a non-hardy bulbous plant: the deciduous foliage and stems dry out after flowering, while the corm enters dormancy; it must be lifted or protected from frost in winter. 
The cultivar 'Tom' is classified in the "small-flowered" group, characterised by plants that are shorter than classic tall gladioli, but with flowers of almost the same size. It is part of the Glamini / Gladdies® series, selected for its 50 to 60 cm stems, which are very floriferous. Selected and distributed by the Dutch breeders Forever Bulbs, 'Tom' has been commercially available for over fifteen years. Each corm produces a cluster of medium-green, sword-shaped leaves and one or two rigid flowering stems. Each bears a spike of single, funnel-shaped, slightly ruffled flowers, 8 to 10 cm in diameter, of a velvety purplish-red, with a darker throat discreetly streaked with white. Flowering occurs in summer, between July and September, depending on the planting date.

In the garden, Dwarf Gladiolus 'Tom' is used in small clumps of five to ten bulbs to create red accents amidst softer foliage. It can be tucked between dark dahlias like 'Karma Choc', copper-toned heleniums like 'Waltraut', a generous sage such as Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' or an ornamental grass like Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Red Head'. These companions create a colourful ensemble of red spikes, deep blues and purplish plumes, as beautiful in the border as in cut flower arrangements where 'Tom' plays the starring role.