5 Gladiolus acuminatus Seeds - Indigenous South African Native Perennial Bulb Seeds from Africa

Gladiolus acuminatus Seeds

Gladiolus (from Latin, the diminutive of gladius, a sword) is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae). Sometimes called the sword lily, the most widely-used English common name for these plants is simply gladiolus (plural gladioli or gladioluses).

The genus Gladiolus contains about 260 species, of which 250 are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa. About 10 species are native to Eurasia. There are 160 species of Gladiolus endemic in southern Africa and 76 in tropical Africa. The fragrant flower spikes are large and one-sided.

They make excellent cut flowers.

Gladiolus acuminatus is a South African endemic species from the Western Cape Province where it can be found growing in Renosterveld on stony clay soils on flats and north-facing slopes at low elevations between Caledon to Bredasdorp. It grows to 40cm tall with narrow leaves and during spring it bears an erect spike of 3-10 small cream to greenish flowers that are flushed mauve on the reverse.