Gladiolus Hirsutus - Indigenous South African Bulb - 10 Seeds

Gladiolus (from Latin, the diminutive of gladius, a sword) is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family. Sometimes called the sword lily, the most widely used English common name for these plants is simply gladiolus (plural gladioli, gladioluses or sometimes gladiolas). The genus is distributed in Mediterranean Europe, Asia, Tropical Africa and South Africa. The centre of diversity of the genus is located in the Cape Floristic Region, where most species were discovered.

With hairy leaves, and pink to mauve flowers with dark spots and streaks, Hirsutus grows to 60cm and flowers in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.