Gladiolus

Glorious Gladiolus At NatureHills.com!

Glads, Gladiolia, and Sword Lily, the Gladiolus is a gorgeous vertical column of frilly butterfly-like flowers that bloom throughout the summer! Members of the Iris family, these are brilliantly unique plants that are sure to set your landscape apart!

Equally vertical sword-like foliage, despite how tall Gladiolus are, these clumps are very space-saving and especially easy to grow! Growing from bulb-like structures called corms, which are actually modified underground stems, Gladiolus are perennials that are in-ground hardy throughout USDA planting zones 8 and up.

Northern growers can use these plants as seasonal accents and annuals, or lift their corms for the winter as you would Dahlias.

Deer-resistant, easy to grow, and very low-maintenance, Gladiolus brings showy form and color to your landscape!

How To Use Gladiolus In Your Garden

Featuring dwarf forms, double blooms, ruffled forms, single-petalled forms, and bi/tri-colored flowers!

• These mid-summer flowers bring in butterflies and hummingbirds
• Look fantastic in tall vase arrangements
• Tall backdrops and narrow border rows
• Container thrillers
• Accents, groupings, and en masse
• Cutting Gardens, Pollinator borders & Sun Garden.

Choosing The Right Gladiolus For You!

Browse only for the Gladiolus for your Planting Zone using our USDA zone filters, choose your size and color and let NatureHills.com take care of the rest!

• Dwarf forms like Lummiere Gladiolus and Cookie Gladiolus
• Tall varieties like Kingston Ruffle Gladiolus
• Unusual colors like Chocolate Gladiolus
• Different species like Peacock Orchid and Babiana (Gladiolus nervosus)

Caring For Gladiolus

Get your new Glads started right with these simple tips, planting advice in our #ProPlantTips, and with Nature Hills Root Booster!

• Gladiolus need full sun, at least 6 hours of sun a day
• These plants need well-drained soil.
• Water new plants regularly using the Finger Test to help them get established
• Provide a 3-4 inch deep layer of mulch over the root system
• Deadhead after flowers fade and keep the foliage intact
• Prune foliage back after it yellows
• Dig up corms in late fall before the ground freezes in zones 7 and lower

What Does The Gladiolus Symbolize?

The August birth month flower symbolizes means "sword" in Latin and expresses the strength of character, remembrance, faithfulness, and moral integrity.

How To Lift Gladiolus Corms

Gladiolus are in-ground hardy throughout USDA planting zones 8-10, but gardeners in colder climates can treat Glad corms as they would Canna and Dahlias, by lifting them in the fall.

Once the leaves begin to yellow, lift your bulbs out of the ground and store them in a nylon stocking or brown paper bag in a cool, dry location with good ventilation above freezing.

Each year you'll notice more and more little corms forming around the base of the parent corm for more blooms each year!

How Do You Store Gladiolus Bulbs

Clean the corms of excess soil and let them dry out completely in a warm area with plenty of air circulation. Remove the tiny corms (called cormels) found around the base of the new corms. Wrap the corms in shredded paper, sterile vermiculite or peat moss, brown paper bags or newspaper and tuck them into a cardboard box or crate with holes. You can also place the corms in mesh bags or old nylon stockings and hang them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location.

Save the cormels for propagation purposes or discard them. Storage temperatures should be 35 to 45°F. Check your corms periodically, change out wrappings and boxes if they become soggy, and treat corms that may have developed mold or mildew. Discarding any that became rotten over the winter.

Why Order Gladiolus From NatureHills.com?

Family-owned and operated since 2001, Nature Hills Nursery prides itself on meeting the needs of customers with an ever-growing collection of online plants backed by our product guarantee and protected by Plant Sentry™.

All of our bulbs, corms, and bareroot plants are delivered safely to your home with instructions for planting, care, and maintenance, so you can order knowing you'll have exactly what you need! Plus plenty more information in our #ProPlantTips Garden Blog for extra support and inspiration!