Sword Lilies Gladiolus
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Acidanthera
- Antholyza
- Phonetic Spelling
- glad-ee-OH-lus
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Sword lily is a genus of flowering bulbs in the Iridaceae (iris) family. The plant is distinguished by long, sword-shaped green leaves in upright fans and funnel-shaped flowers on slender stalks that open one at a time from bottom to top. The genus, which hails from Africa, Madagascar, and Eurasia, includes over 300 species in a range of flower colors.
Sword lilies prefer full to afternoon sun, protection from strong winds, and rich, well-drained soil; however, they will adapt to most soils except heavy clay. They thrive in damp borders so do not allow soils to dry out.
The bulbs are tender so delay planting until after the last frost and the soil has had time to warm. The bulbs are hardy in zones 7 to 10. In cooler environments, sword lilies are best treated as annuals. The bulbs can be dug up in the fall and replanted year after year.
The flowers are fragrant and are excellent cut flowers. Make consecutive plantings to extend the flowering season. Sword lilies also grow well in containers and in garden borders.
Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to Botrytis, crown rot, rust, wilt, and mosaic virus. Watch for aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, and thrips. If thrips or fungus were a problem during the growing season, consider treating corms with an insecticide or fungicide prior to storage.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Caribbean'
small-flowered hybrid, lavender along petal edges, light yellow in centers, 3' tall - 'Carolina-Primrose'
- 'Flevo Jive'
compact gladiolus, 12-24" tall, stems do not need support, white and yellow flowers.
G. byzantinus
- 'Sapporo'
3 to 4 inch flowers, pink and yellow with a red heart, grows 3 to 3 1/2 ft. tall and 1 to 1 1/2 ft. wide. - 'Zwanenburg'
G. murielae
- 'Caribbean'
- 'Caribbean', 'Carolina-Primrose', 'Flevo Jive', G. byzantinus, G. murielae, 'Sapporo', 'Zwanenburg'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Caribbean'
small-flowered hybrid, lavender along petal edges, light yellow in centers, 3' tall - 'Carolina-Primrose'
- 'Flevo Jive'
compact gladiolus, 12-24" tall, stems do not need support, white and yellow flowers.
G. byzantinus
- 'Sapporo'
3 to 4 inch flowers, pink and yellow with a red heart, grows 3 to 3 1/2 ft. tall and 1 to 1 1/2 ft. wide. - 'Zwanenburg'
G. murielae
- 'Caribbean'
- 'Caribbean', 'Carolina-Primrose', 'Flevo Jive', G. byzantinus, G. murielae, 'Sapporo', 'Zwanenburg'
- Tags:
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-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Gladiolus
- Family:
- Iridaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Bulb
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Africa, Madagascar, Eurasia
- Bulb Storage:
- Harvest corms after foliage dies in the fall. Clean carefully and store dry in mesh bags with good air circulation at 35-41 degrees F (2-5C)
- Edibility:
- Flowers (with anthers removed) are edible. Works best as a garnish or as a container for dip or spread.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Bulb
- Edible
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Dense
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- Capsules usually slightly inflated, oblong to ellipsoid or globose [rarely nearly cylindric], softly cartilaginous. Seeds usually many, broadly winged; rarely few, wingless, globose or angular; seed coat light to dark brown.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Orange
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Funnel
- Flower Petals:
- 6 petals/rays
- Tepals
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Many cultivars with a variety of colors. Edible once anthers are removed. Bloom from late summer into early fall. Inflorescences spicate, partly to fully secund (on one side of the spike) or with flowers weakly distichous; bracts green, sometimes flushed grayish purple, unequal, outer usually exceeding inner, acute or inner forked or notched apically. Flowers zygomorphic [actinomorphic]; tepals basally connate into tube, variously colored, usually with contrasting markings comprising nectar guide on outer tepals, usually unequal, dorsal tepal largest, arched to hooded over stamens, outer 3 tepals narrower; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped to cylindric; stamens usually unilateral; anthers usually parallel; style usually arching over stamens, dividing into 3 filiform branches, these distally expanded.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves 1–9; blade lanceolate to linear, plane or margins and/or midribs variously raised and thickened (then H- or X-shaped in cross section), or evidently terete, midribs and margins much thickened, grooved; grooves 4, narrow, longitudinal.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Description:
- Stems are simple or branched.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Landscape Theme:
- Cutting Garden
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Problems:
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
