By Nita Robertson, AIFD, CFD
Genus/Botanical Name: Gladiolus
Common Names: sword lily, corn flag
Family: Iridaceae (Iris)
Availability: year-round, as cut flowers
Vase Life: seven to 14 days
Gladiolus flowers, commonly called “sword lilies,” are known for their tall, sword-like stalks and one-sided spikes of trumpet-shaped blooms, which are available in a range of stunning colors and bicolors, including red, pink, hot pink, magenta, orange, peach, coral, yellow, lime green, lavender, purple and blue-violet. Their elegant tall stems abundant with blooms command attention.
A member of the Iridaceae (Iris) family, Gladiolus is a summer-flowering perennial that grows from a bulb-like structure called a “corm.” These flowers are native mainly to tropical Africa and South Africa but also to the Mediterranean region of Europe and Western Asia.
During the 18th century, African Gladiolus were transported to Europe along Indian Ocean trade routes. Hybridization began in England, and in 1823, the first hybrid Gladiolus to enter commerce were developed by London nurseryman James Colville (the dwarf-flowered species Gladiolus × Colvillei is named for him). Gladiolus became prominent in the U.S. during the late 19th century, first as garden flowers and, later, as commercially grown cut flowers. Today, several species are widely cultivated for cut flowers.
One prominent grower in the U.S. is Glad-A-Way Gardens, in Santa Maria, Calif. The company, founded in 1953 by John Canine and his sons, Neal and Jean, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Today, the company is owned by Brian Caird and his family and has more than 550 acres of Gladiolus in production—all field grown.
“Gladiolus is the king of all line flowers,” says Olivia Morgan, sales manager at Glad-A-Way. “This long-lasting classic is a staple in any florist’s cooler, used for creating height and structure in statement-making floral designs—combined with other flowers or simply on their own in a classic vase.” And don’t forget that individual blooms are striking in wearable designs, often causing viewers to ask what the blooms are—particularly the classic and opulent glamelia, an exquisite composite flower or bouquet handcrafted from individual Gladioluspetals. Glamelia-making is (almost) a lost art that, fortunately, has been experiencing a renaissance in recent years.
More About the Common Names
The genus name “Gladiolus” comes from the Latin word “gladius,” which means little sword and refers to the shape of the leaves; hence the common name “sword lily.” For the nitpickers among us, these flowers are commonly—but, technically, erroneously—referred to by the terms “gladiola” and “gladiolas,” as well as the nicknames “glad” or “glads.” The misnomers came about because the genus name “Gladiolus” sounds like the plural “gladiolas,” and, therefore, logically, the singular version of “gladiolas” would be “gladiola.” And, by extension, the plural forms “gladioli” and “gladioluses” are also not “real” words—technically; however, as is the case with many words and terms, common misusage often results in those words and terms becoming accepted forms in the American English lexicon (think “irregardless,” which is, unfortunately, now a recognized word because of widespread misusage by people who meant, simply, “regardless” or “irrespective”). Still, in the case of “Gladiolus,” most American English dictionaries transfer searchers of the word “gladiola” to a “Gladiolus” listing.
Working with Gladiolus
Glad-A-Way Gardens shares the following tips for working with its namesake cut flowers.
TIP 1: Great stems start with great bulbs, or corms, to be specific. Glad-A-Way Gardens produces 100 percent of corms it uses for cut-flower production. Keeping corm production in house allows the company to monitor quality, grading and disease management, to produce the most superior glads to the wholesale and retail markets.
TIP 2: On the up and up: Glad-A-Way ships its Gladiolus upright to keep stems and tips from curving upward. Gladiolus is negatively geotropic (or negatively gravitropic), meaning that gravity will cause these flowers’ stems and tips to curve upward, away from the force of gravity (away from the ground), if they are stored for any period of time on their side, particularly in warm environments. (NOTE: With positive geotropism/gravitropism, growth turns downward, toward the ground, with the force of gravity). To inhibit this effect, it is important that Gladiolus be stored as vertically/upright as possible in storage containers and refrigerated at 34 F to 38 F at both wholesale and retail florists, as well as throughout postharvest procedures at the grower and during shipping.
TIP 3: Tipping is optional. Removing the smallest buds at the tops of Gladiolus bloom spikes is called “tipping.” It used to be that tipping was done to encourage the uppermost buds to open, but if Gladiolus are harvested at the correct stage (crucial to bud opening), and if they are properly treated after harvest, during shipment, and at wholesale and retail florists, most upper buds will open as they should. Tipping won’t hurt the flowers, though, and it might even reduce curving at the tops of the bloom spikes. Today, tipping is really a matter of personal preference: Some designers prefer to “tip” Gladiolus while others like to keep the tips in place, to get as much height as possible.
TIP 4: Make room for blooms. Gladiolus has large blooms at the lower portions of the bloom spikes; therefore, it is important to un-band and loosen bunches upon their arrival so there will be space for the blooms to open without sustaining damage. This can be a challenge when also trying to keep stems as upright as possible.
TIP 5: Versatility is always in style. Gladiolus can be used for virtually any aesthetic and design. Their long stems can create dramatic lines, height and structure, but designers can also cut sections of bloom spikes to use in smaller arrangements; incorporate individual blooms into wearable designs, such as corsages and boutonnières, flower crowns, leis and more; and construct composite flowers and entire bouquets (glamelias) from individual petals.
TIP 6: Beyond sympathy work. Gladiolus have been standards in sympathy designs for decades, but they can also be utilized to create contemporary, sophisticated and artful floral designs. Pair them with glossy tropical foliage, or arrange them en masse for high impact; Gladiolus offer endless creative opportunities.
TIP 7: Not just for sympathy work. Regardless of the type of arrangement or occasion for which you choose Gladiolus, allow blooms to open so they can showcase their full beauty and opulence during the event—just as you do with lilies, roses, peonies and other similarly luxurious flowers.
FUN FACTS
• Gladiolus is the birth flower for the month of August (along with poppies) and the traditional flower for 40th wedding anniversaries (along with Nasturtium).
• In floriography—the language of flowers—Gladiolus symbolizes honor, strength of character, moral integrity, determination, loyalty and faithfulness, generosity, sincerity, admiration and even infatuation, and remembrance.
• A member of the Iridaceae (Iris) family, Gladiolus is related to Crocosmia, Crocus, Freesia, Ixia and Watsonia, among myriad other genera.
• The ancient Greeks called Gladiolus flowers “Xiphium,” from the Greek word “xiphos,” also meaning sword.
• During the time of the Roman Empire, Gladiolus was associated with gladiators (ancient professional fighters). They would wear the flowers around their necks for protection during their duels.
• The English mashed Gladiolus corms to use as a poultice for drawing out thorns and splinters, and they powdered corms, which they mixed with goat’s milk to soothe symptoms of colic.
Gladiolus Care and Handling
1. Make a fresh cut on each stem. Using a sharp knife, remove at least 1 inch from the bottom of each stem, cutting each stem at a 45-degree angle. Many florists use pruners or shears, but we recommend using a sharp knife, to make the cleanest cuts and avoid crushing stem ends.
2. Immediately after cutting stems, place them into a sanitized tall storage container with 5 to 6 inches of bulb-flower-specific flower food solution (bulb-flower food can prevent leaf yellowing). Also, avoid using fluoridated or softened water when mixing flower food solution for Gladiolus; fluoride can cause “tip-burn” on petals and foliage.
NOTE: Gladiolus love to drink, so our recommendation of at least 5 inches but no more than 6 inches of solution in storage containers can require refilling the flower food solution every other day or so. In addition, we advise replacing the flower food solution in storage and arrangement containers every two to three days—as well as recutting stem ends on a diagonal every other day. Gladiolus stem ends are prone to developing a biofilm formation, which essentially closes the stem ends, due to bacterial growth in the container solution; using a blub-flower food solution and changing it regularly, as well as recutting stem ends regularly, will prevent this issue.
3. FloraLife recommends storing Gladiolus in a flower cooler at 34 F to 38 F and 75 percent to 85 percent humidity. If you need blooms to open quickly, store them at room temperature—but be sure to store them as vertically as possible to prevent tips from curving upward due to the force of gravity.
4. Remove lower blooms as they fade; this can help encourage the upper buds to open.
NOTE: Failure of upper buds to open is often the result of one or more of the following: the flowers being 1) harvested too early, 2) stored too long, and 3) exposed to extreme temperatures and/or low humidity.
5. Keep cut Gladiolus away from warm drafts and heating vents.
