Gladiolus Purple Flora - Sword Lily

The Gladiolus 'Purple Flora' enriches the range of large hybrid gladioli with a pure and rich violet, without any trace of white or pink. A rare colour in these plants, of undeniable elegance, easy to mix with other flowers in bouquets and in the garden. Its large velvety flowers cluster on generous spikes, from July to September if plantings are staggered. In summer beds, its tall violet rockets enhance pastel tones, reds and perfectly balance orange to salmon tones. This violet gladiolus is undoubtedly the best in its category!

Cultivated gladioli, belonging to the Iridaceae family, are hybrid plants. They are divided into 3 major groups: Grandiflorus (large flowers), Primulinus (early) and Nanus (butterflies). 'Purple Flora' belongs to the first group. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, with broad sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan shape, forming a clump of 1 m (3ft) high when in flower, under good conditions. The medium green leaves are topped by a dense spike inflorescence, with numerous funnel-shaped flowers, 10-12 cm (4-5in) long, carried by sturdy stems. They glow in an intense violet-purple. The storage organ is a corm, which is a swollen stem like a scaly bulb. To enjoy the flowers all summer, plant your corms at 15-day intervals, from March to May. The foliage of gladioli dries up and disappears a few weeks after flowering, marking the plant's entry into dormancy.

Gladioli and their long colourful spikes are symbolic of the 70s and slightly formal floral compositions. While they are irreplaceable in bouquets, in gardens, their silhouette needs the presence of lush foliage or delicate flowers that will enhance their wildly romantic flowering. Plant 'Purple Flora' corms among clumps of purple and white salvias, gypsophila, bee balm and white ornamental garlic, for example. Or among small ornamental grasses like melica. They are regulars in kitchen gardens, where they accompany vegetables from the garden to the dining table. For making bouquets, cut the flower spikes when the first floret starts to open. Leave 5 to 6 leaves per stem to allow the bulb to continue developing. Remove the first two buds at the top of the flower spike.

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

We deliver in a large size 14+ for the best flowering.