Gladiolus Prins Claus - Sword Lily

Gladiolus 'Prins Claus' is a variety of dwarf gladiolus that charms with its rather large flowers in a refined colour, but also for its relative hardiness. Its bulbs can remain in the ground all year round in most climates, provided they are well mulched in winter. This variety produces spikes of pure white flowers adorned with delicate cherry pink tear-shaped spots in late spring. This elegant and graceful gladiolus integrates much better than the large hybrids into romantic flower beds and bouquets.

The genus Gladiolus belongs to the iris family, and cultivated varieties are hybrids classified into 3 main groups: Grandiflorus (large-flowered), Primulinus (early-flowering), and Nanus (butterflies). Gladiolus 'Prins Claus' is classified in the horticultural group Nanus.

Gladiolus 'Prins Claus' is a perennial herbaceous plant with thin, dark green sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan shaped tuft about 40 cm (16in) tall. Flowering takes place in June-July. From the foliage, a spike-like inflorescence with several buds emerges at 70 cm (28in) above the ground. The 6-petaled flowers are about 5-6 cm (2in) in diameter and open widely, like butterflies, carried by thin but sturdy stems. The flowers open gradually from bottom to top, in groups of 4 or 5, forming elegant flower spikes. The storage organ is a corm, which is a swollen stem with scales. Each corm will produce 2 or 3 flower spikes.

Gladioli and their long colourful spikes are symbols of the 70s and somewhat formal floral arrangements. Far from this archetype, dwarf Gladiolus 'Prins Claus' fits well into simple perennial flower beds, without staking. It pairs well with ground cover roses in pink, mauve, and white tones, low grasses such as Stipa pennata or tenuifolia, forget-me-nots and penstemons, for example. Add silver foliage (Stachys byzantina, artemisias) or purple foliage (Panicum Sangria) to complete the scene. For bouquets, cut the flower spikes when the first floret starts to open. Plant them at two-week intervals from early spring until the end of June to flower the house and garden all summer long.

The gladiolus gets its name from the shape of its sword-like leaves, derived from the Latin word gladius. Its wild forms were often represented in jewellery or on carpets and fabrics made by the Semitic people before the Christian era.