Gladiolus Violetta - Sword Lily

The hybrid Gladiolus 'Violetta' is distinguished by its beautiful flowers of a fine royal purple with white-silver edges, with a white throat. Light and airy like certain irises, they are tightly packed together and arranged symmetrically on sturdy and harmonious flower stalks. They bloom in summer, emerging from a fan-shaped clump of long leaves. We deliver them in large sizes of 14+ for the best flowering.

Cultivated gladioli, belonging to the family Iridaceae, are hybrid plants. They are divided into 3 main groups: Grandiflorus (large-flowered), Primulinus (early-flowering), and Nanus (butterfly). 'Violetta', registered in 1992 in the Netherlands, belongs to the first group, although it also carries the genes of the Gladiolus papilio. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with broad sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan shape, forming a clump that reaches about 1m (3ft) in height when in bloom, under good conditions. The leaves are topped by a dense spike inflorescence, with numerous 6-petaled flowers that are open and about 6-8 cm (2-3in) wide. Each flower consists of 3 smaller petals arranged in quincunx with 3 larger sepals. The majority of the flowers are a beautiful pure and intense violet, crossed by a thin white line. The petals are finely marginate with white-silver edges. The flowers open from the bottom to the top of the spike, for about 2 weeks between July and September, depending on the planting date. The storage organ is a corm, which is a swollen stem with scales. To enjoy flowers throughout the summer, plant your corms at 15-day intervals, from March to May.

Gladioli and their long colourful flower stalks are symbolic of the 70s and slightly formal floral arrangements. While they are irreplaceable in bouquets, in gardens, their silhouette needs the presence of lush foliage or delicate flowers that will enhance their loaded but wildly romantic flowering. Plant 'Violetta' corms among clumps of sage, tobacco, bee balm, and forget-me-nots, for example. Or among small ornamental grasses like Stipa or blue fescue. They are regulars in cottage gardens, where they accompany vegetables even in the vegetable patch. For making bouquets, cut the flower stalks when the first floret starts to open. Plant them at intervals of two weeks from early spring until the end of June to bring flowers to the house and garden all summer long. 

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