When to Plant Wild Gladiolus Flowers

Plant wild gladiolus at the right time of year so they produce healthy garden flowers.

Gladiolus, commonly shortened to glads, are native to warm Mediterranean regions in Europe. The plant is also called sword lily because of its pointed foliage. Wild gladiolus (Gladiolus illyricus) is hardy to -10 degrees F, making it suitable for outdoor gardens up to USDA hardiness zone 6. The flowers bloom in purple, red, white, orange and pink.

Characteristics

Gladiolus have long, thin, smooth leaves with no lobes or teeth. The flowers grow along the straight stems of the plant in an alternating pattern. One of the most distinctive features of the gladiolus is the corm, an underground stem that grows on the plant every year. New corms grow on top of last year's corm, which dies out when left to its own devices. Wild gladiolus flowers, which bloom in June and July, have six petals in a deep reddish-purple tone. The flowers often appear in nature with no cultivation, springing up in fields and along roads.

Planting Site

Wild gladiolus prefer full sunlight, though they grow in some shade. The flowers of the plant are brighter and larger when gladiolus are planted in a sunny location. Wild glads also need well-drained soil, and do not tolerate heavy, moist soils. It may be necessary to use soil to raise garden beds, creating a small slope that improves drainage.

Gathering Corms

To grow new wild gladiolus flowers in the garden, collect corms from existing flowers. Dig up wild glads in September to locate the underground corm, which is bulb-like in shape and size. Corms must be stored in a cool, dry location, but they must also be ventilated, until they are planted in the ground. Thick corms are more desirable than thinner corms, as they will produce larger, healthier gladiolus flowers. Corms should be larger than 1 inch in size, particularly if you hope to enjoy wild gladiolus flowers the following season.

Planting Schedule

Wild gladiolus corms may be planted from mid-May to mid-June. When planting many glads, space out planting times to add new flowers every two weeks during this period of time. Flowers bloom from July to the end of August when you space out planting times in this fashion. Corms should be planted in the soil pointed end up, four times as deep as the corm is wide. For example, if the corm is 1 inch wide, plant it 4 inches deep into the soil. Plant each gladiolus at least 6 inches apart.

References

• Wildflowers of the Escambria; Liliaceae (Lily) Family
• New Forest Explorers' Guide; Wild Gladiolus
• University of Minnesota Extension Service; Growing Gladiolus; July 2001
• North Dakota State University Extension; Giddy over Gladiolus; Ronald C. Smith; August 1993
• Upper Iowa University Encyclopedia of Plants; Gladiolus
• Forest Farm; Gladiolus Illyricus

Resources

• Malta Wild Plants; Field Gladiolus
• Arbor Day Foundation; Hardiness Zone Map; 2006