Gladiolus carmineus Seeds - Cliff gladiolus - Indigenous South African Native Perennial Bulb

Gladiolus carmineus 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 carmineus or "Cliff gladiolus", grows to 35cm tall. It has deep pink flowers from summer to autumn. It does well in rocky areas, like a rockery. The flowers are quite showy.