Gladiolus Flowers

The gladiolus flower is a popular choice for many gardeners. This type of flower is characterized by tall spikes of large blossoms in a wide variety of colors, including red, yellow, orange, white, salmon and many bi-colors. Gladioli have sword-shaped leaves and are also known as sword lilies. They are grown from corms, which are bulblike structures that need to be dug up each fall and replanted in the spring. Gladiolus flowers bloom in midsummer, but you can have a longer season of flowering by staggering planting and by choosing among early, midseason and late-blooming types.

Grandiflora
Grandiflora hybrids are the best-known gladioli, according to Sunset.com. Spikes can reach as high as 6 feet. Modern hybrids produce very large flowers and can produce 40 blossoms on a spike. Small and miniature hybrids have been developed from grandifloras and range from 2 to 3 feet high, producing fewer than 20 flowers per spike. Grandifloras bloom about 100 days after planting and typically bloom from late spring to early autumn. They are perennials, but they are usually dug up in the fall for replanting in the spring.

Nanus
Gladioli in the nanus group bloom in early summer. They are winter-hardy gladioli and can handle freezing temperatures, blooming year after year without replanting. These gladiolus flowers are shorter than other types of gladioli, usually ranging from 1 to 2 feet tall. They mingle well in flower gardens with other perennials. Nanus gladioli are often used for corsages and flower arrangements.

Winter Blooming
Winter blooming species of gladioli tend to be smaller plants that produce only one or two leaves before flowering, according to the University of Arizona. They are native to South Africa, and more than 100 different winter blooming species exist. These gladiolus flowers often have strong fragrances.

Other Varieties
Primulines are a small variety of gladiolus that flowers in the summer and typically produces only one thin spike. Gladiolus flowers have been frequently hybridized, and new varieties are continually being developed. Large, showy gladioli are often displayed in flower shows and used as cut flowers. Petals can be plain, ruffled, semiruffled or frilled. Miniature varieties are suited as borders or in smaller arrangements of cut flowers. According to the University of Missouri Extension, gladioli are categorized based on size of the bloom. They are also coded according to color and whether they have conspicuous markings.

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About Gladiolus

The gladiolus is a beautiful flower that comes in a rainbow of colors. Gladioli are extremely popular both because they add a gorgeous splash of color to any flower arrangement and because they are easy to cultivate even for "brown thumbs." To grow the best gladioli, you need to understand when and how to plant and raise them so that they will produce beautiful flowers year after year.

Types

Gladioli come in many colors. The only color that gladioli do not come in is blue. They also come in a wide variety of shapes, such as the butterfly gladiolus and the nanus gladiolus, and in an array of blooming seasons from summer to winter. Gladioli are often mixed to make hybrids that are multiple colors or hardier varieties.

Features
Gladioli grow from bulbs called corms. These must be dug up if you live in a cold climate, but you can leave them underground in less severe climes. They produce large spikes of flowers that are beautiful and vibrant, and are great for flower arrangements or landscaping.

Time Frame
Gladioli take about two months to grow and bloom from the time that they are planted. You can plant them as early as mid-May. If you want to keep flowers blooming continuously, then continue to plant more gladioli in the same areas every 2 weeks until mid-June. This will give you continuous blooming from July through August. After the flowers are done, you will need to dig up the corms and store them during the winter months if you live in a cold climate where the ground tends to freeze and stay frozen.

Size
Gladiolus spikes can grow up to 1.5 feet tall. Their flowers are fairly large, ranging from 2 to 4 inches in diameter. Corms produce an average of 2 spikes per corm.

Benefits
Gladioli are great to work with because they are easy to grow and beautiful to look at. They are so exotic that they make every garden look like a work of art. Many of the hybrid breeds have an extremely long vase life once cut.

Considerations
To raise healthy gladioli, you will need well-drained soil. Loosen the soil to a depth of at least 12 inches. While gladioli do not like heavy, wet soil, they do need at least an inch of water a week, so if you live in a dry area, make sure that you water them diligently.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_4587847_gladiolus.html