Gladiolus Mix - Sword Lily

Gladioli or Gladiolus colvillei are shorter varieties than the large hybrids dedicated to cut flowers. They are more natural-looking with smaller, lighter flowers. These gladioli also have better resistance to cold, allowing the bulbs to be left in the ground in many regions, with a protective mulch in winter. We offer a mix of varieties in different colours, solid or two-tone, in shades of white, pink, red, purple... depending on the plants.

Hybrid Colville gladioli are herbaceous perennial plants, with thin, dark green, sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan shaped clump 45 to 50 cm (18 to 20in) tall. Flowering takes place in June, sometimes in May depending on the climate. It takes the form of a flower spike with up to 10 buds blooming into flowers that have 6 petals and a diameter of 6-8 cm (2-3in), like small lilies carried on very thin stems. The flowers open gradually from bottom to top, forming beautiful flower spikes. The storage organ is a corm, which is a swollen stem with scales. Each corm will produce 2 or 3 flower spikes.

Gladioli and their long colourful spikes are symbolic of the 1970s and slightly formal floral arrangements. While they are irreplaceable in bouquets, in gardens their silhouette needs the presence of plants with lush foliage to showcase their abundant flowering. The dwarf Colville gladiolus fits well in simple perennial borders, without requiring staking. It pairs well with ground-cover roses (The Fairy, Knock Out), small grasses (Stipa pennata or tenuifolia), forget-me-nots, penstemons, and perennial flax, for example. Use bright pink and red for vibrancy, and add silver foliage here and there (stachys, dwarf artemisias). For bouquets, cut the flower spikes when the first floret begins to open. Plant them at intervals of two weeks from early spring until the end of June to have flowers in the house and garden all summer.

 
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 Semitic people before the Christian era.