Gladiolus Violet Moon - Sword Lily

The Violet Moon Gladiolus is a magnificent hybrid gladiolus with large, beautiful, intense plum-purple flowers in the middle of summer. The edges of the petals are nicely fringed. The stems are strong, sturdy, and covered with numerous buds. Gladiolus are magnificent in borders and perfect for cut flowers. We supply them in a large size, 14+ for the best flowers.

Cultivated gladiolus, belonging to the iridaceae family, are hybrids. They are divided into 3 main groups: Grandiflorus (large flowers), Primulinus (early blooming), and Nanus (butterflies). 'Violet Moon' belongs to the Grandiflorus group. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with broad, sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan-shaped clump 120 cm (47in) tall. The leaves are topped by a spike inflorescence, with funnel-shaped flowers, over 10 cm (4in) long, carried by strong stems. They are a violet plum shade, washed with red, with fringed petals. The storage organ is a corm, which is a swollen stem with scales.

Gladiolus and their long colourful spikes are reminiscent of the 70s and formal floral arrangements. While they are irreplaceable in bouquets, in gardens their silhouette needs the presence of plants with lush foliage to highlight their abundant flowering. Plant them in groups in borders with salvias, tobacco plants, willowherbs, and bee balms, or wallflowers and forget-me-nots to create colourful mixes. They are commonly found in cottage gardens with vegetables. For vases, cut the flower spikes when the first floret starts to open. Plant them at intervals of two weeks from early spring until late June to have flowers in the house and garden all summer.

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