Mini Gladiolus – Gladiolus spp.

Common Name: Mini Gladiolus

Botanical Name: Gladiolus spp., glad-ee-O-lus

Decorative Life: From 2-3 weeks.

Flower Color: Blue

Most consumers (and even growers and florists) would probably not consider gladioli as a potted crop. Yet, it was not that many years ago that freesia were only grown as a cut flower but now are commonly marketed as potted plants. Hence, the future of potted gladiolus is yet to be determined. To help make potted gladioli a potentially successful crop, cultivar selection is important. For example, some reportedly good mini glads are ‘Adi’ (currant-red), ‘Kinnereth’ (violet), ‘Ronit’ (purple), ‘Yamit’ (violet), ‘Nirit (blood-red) and ‘Keren-Or’. Growth retardants are often required for height control. One way to apply the growth retardant is to vacuum infiltrate the corms before planting.

• As a member of the Iridaceae (iris family), its cousins include Iris, Freesia, Crocus, Ixia and Watsonia.
• Native to South Africa.

• Normally has 4-8 flowers on a one-sided spike. Stems are fleshy, up to 2 feet long for the mini types. Plant is a perennial from corms. While a few cultivars are sweetly scented, most have no fragrance.

• Gladiolus means sword in Latin, referring to the long pointed leaves. This might explain one early common name, sword lily.
• Grown from corms, not bulbs. The first species as we know them today were introduced from Ghent, Belgium in 1841.
• Flower forms: ruffled, fringed, orchid-like, tulip-like and rose-like.
• Some cultivars are sensitive to fluoride found in water supplies, which can result in flower tip burn.