Gladiolus Halley - Sword Lily

Gladiolus nanus 'Halley' is a variety of dwarf gladiolus with early flowering that has small flowers in shades of ivory and cream yellow enhanced with cherry red. Its bulbs can remain in the ground all year round, provided they are well mulched in winter, and its short stems do not require staking. This elegant and delicate gladiolus integrates much better than large hybrids in perennial borders. Its flowers are perfect for cutting.

The Gladiolus genus belongs to the iridaceae family, cultivated varieties are hybrids divided into 3 main groups: Grandiflorus (large flowers), Primulinus (early) and Nanus (butterflies). Gladiolus 'Halley' is classified in the horticultural group Nanus. It is a horticultural creation by J. van Winsen (Netherlands) dating back to 1986.

Gladiolus 'Halley' is a perennial herbaceous plant with thin, dark green, sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan. Together they form a tuft about 30 cm (12in) high. Flowering takes place between May and early July, depending on the climate and planting date. From the foliage, an inflorescence in a spike emerges 50 cm (20in) from the ground with numerous buds. The flowers have 6 petals, 6-7 cm (2-3in) in diameter and open widely, like butterflies. They are carried by thin but sturdy stems. The flowers open gradually from bottom to top, in groups of 4 or 5, forming elegant flower spikes. The storage organ is a corm, which is a swollen stem with scales. Each corm will produce 2 or 3 flower spikes.

Gladiolus and their long colourful spikes are a symbol of the 70s and somewhat formal floral arrangements. However, dwarf Gladiolus 'Halley' fits well into simple perennial borders without requiring staking. It pairs well with ground cover roses in shades of yellow, orange, and white, with low grasses such as Stipa pennata or tenuifolia, and with yellow and orange yarrows, for example. Add silver foliage (Stachys byzantina, wormwoods) or purple foliage (Panicum Sangria) to complete the border. For cut flowers, cut the flower spikes when the first floret starts to open. Plant them at intervals of two weeks from early spring to the end of June to have flowers in the house and garden all summer.

The gladiolus gets its name from the shape of its sword-like leaves, derived from the Latin word gladius. Its wild forms were often represented in jewellery or on carpets and fabrics made by the Semites before the Christian era.