
Plant gladiolus to enjoy bold blooms and beautiful summer bouquets.
Types
Gladioli come in a variety of sizes and colors, with the most popular being part of the following hybrid groups:
- Grandiflora Hybrids: These are the classic gladioli that produce a plentiful amount of large (5- to 6-inch) blooms in a range of colors. The plants produce flower stalks that reach up to 4 feet in height and are winter hardy to Zone 7.
- Dwarf Grandiflora Hybrids: These miniature glads are an excellent choice for containers and cutting gardens, as their flowers are about half the size of Grandifloras, and their shorter stalks don’t typically require staking. They are also winter hardy to Zone 7. Glamini gladioli are included in this group; they are pest-resistant and will bloom in full sun or partial shade.
- Nanus Hybrids: Hardy to Zone 5, these smaller gladioli look a lot like Grandifloras, but do not produce as many flowers. They tend to grow no larger than about 2 feet in height, which makes them perfect for containers or small spaces.
Some specific gladiolus varieties of note include:
- ‘Black Star’ has deep purple-red blooms
- ‘Candyman’ for its beautiful, deep pink flowers
- ‘Costa’ sports ruffled flowers in blue-purple
- ‘Dream’s End’ makes a good background plant because its flower spike is up to 3 feet tall (and it has pretty light orange flowers with large yellow centers)
- ‘Fun Time’ has yellow flowers edged with red
- ‘Green Time’ for its unusual lime-green flowers
- ‘Prins Claus’ has white flowers with splashes of pink on its petals
- ‘Priscilla’ produces off-white flowers with a yellow center and a pink edge
David, do you mean to cut the stem and display the flower? If so, cut it in such a way that you have a length of stem below the last bud—you want to plant the stem into a vase with the last stem out of water. Take a sharp knife and slice the stem.
Can you tell me how tiny pea- sized baby bulbs -that are separated from the mother bulb -continue to grow without roots of their own?I continue to plant and store every year but don't how they continue to mature if they have fallen off the mother bulb. Do I keep burying in pot w mature bulbs as I feed and grow thru the season? Help! Cannot find this info anywhere
what is the tiny pea-sized ball next to plant in pot? and what do i do with it?
I want to plant this any one can give me the guide line
I had a glad come up in a Louisiana Iris (yellow) bed. It is bright orange with bright yellow edges. The original glads planted there were orange. If this is a new color, what should I do to take advantage of future financial value.
I bought some bulbs can I plant them now will I see flowers this summer or no
I want to plant gladiolus bulbs in August this year when expected temperature in our region will range from 25C to 42C. would it be appropriate
I planted many colors of glads 5 years ago. For the last 2 years all my glads were Salmon color. Why is that?
There are a few causes for color change, older corms sometimes change color over time and a couple of viruses can also cause the change. Some gardeners suggest that change in light and soil pH values also can cause color change.
I am planning to plant Gladiolus corns this weekend. Will they yield blooms this year?
Also how do I stake them?
Thanks, LaNita Willis