Gladioli, or singular gladiolus, stems from the Latin root gladius, which means sword. It should not be surprising then, that this stunning flower is often called the sword lily. The sword lily is named due to its sword shaped leaves. This genus contains over 260 species, of which 250 are native to Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular South Africa.

Gladioli are among the most popular of flowers grown for cutting. They grow from rounded, symmetrical corms, otherwise known as bulbs. These corms are enveloped in brown, fibrous layers of tunic. Each corm sends up an upright cluster of stiff leaves. A flower spike appears late in the season, with flowers growing one above another, all usually facing the same way. Through hybridization, hundreds of garden varieties have been produced, and you will be able to find flowers in almost any color except true blue. Popular colors include ranges from pink to reddish or light purple with white, contrasting markings, or white to cream or orange to red.

The growing period of these flowers lasts from July through August. To achieve optimum coverage, experts recommend space planting the flowers in two-week intervals from early spring to late June. It is important to plant gladiolus in a sunny location with plenty of moisture. They also need to be planted deep, if not, they are very likely to fall over when they are heavily loaded with flowers.

These stunning flowers have had a long history as well. African Gladioli were imported in large quantities to Europe from South Africa during the 18th century. It is also said that this flower signifies remembrance, as well as expresses infatuation, telling the receiver that he or she “pierces the heart”. Whether or not these flowers pierce your heart, it is quite probable that you will be genuinely impressed with their beauty and elegance.