Gladiolus grandiflorus Triton - Sword Lily

Large-flowered Gladiolus 'Triton' is an elegant and sculptural variety, appreciated as much in the garden as in cut flower arrangements. Its stately flower spikes are covered with large florets of a pale lavender blue, edged with mauve, brightened by an almost white throat. Planted in rows, this summer bulb creates a beautiful flowering screen behind lower perennials. It flowers from mid-summer to early autumn, providing cut flowers for several weeks.

Belonging to the Gladiolus genus, from the Iridaceae family, 'Triton' is a horticultural hybrid classified in the vast group of large-flowered gladioli (Grandiflorus/Grandiflora), created in the 19th century from South African species. These bulbous plants are actually perennials with a corm, but are frost-tender: outside of very mild regions, the corms should be lifted at the end of the season to overwinter them in a dry place. 'Triton' is a cultivar obtained by Dykstra in the Netherlands in 2018. The plant adopts a strictly upright habit, with narrow, sword-shaped, bright green leaves. They dry out completely in autumn while the corm goes dormant. The robust flower spikes reach 1 to 1.20 m in height and bear a long, dense spike of around a dozen funnel-shaped flowers, 10 to 12 cm in diameter. Their colour is a very pale lavender blue, highlighted by a more pronounced mauve border and an almost white throat. Flowering begins approximately 12 weeks after planting. It can be spread out, from July to September, if planting is staggered.

In the garden, 'Triton' is best planted in small clumps in borders or along the edge of the vegetable garden, in a bed dedicated to cut flowers. You can pair it with long-stemmed dahlias like 'Karma Lagoon', with its large fuchsia pink flowers washed with violet, with Echinacea purpurea 'Virgin' or with the violet spikes of Salvia nemorosa 'Blue Marvel'. In a bouquet, pair Triton with a soft green gladiolus like 'Green Star' and with a blue agapanthus 'Blue Triumphator' for artistic and contemporary displays.

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