Gladiolus callianthus - Abyssinian gladiolus

Gladiolus callianthus (formerly known as Acidanthera murielae) is an elegant cormous plant that may not immediately come to mind when thinking of brightening up our gardens from late summer to autumn. While its remarkably colourful horticultural cousins enter dormancy, this wild gladiolus with its non-rigid habit develops its flowering stems. The stems bear several graceful funnel-shaped flowers. They are white with a handsome purple heart. The flowers might be fairly small, but they are pleasantly fragrant and highly valued in bouquets. It is not very hardy, but is easy to grow in fertile, moist, and well-drained soil. It should be stored indoors during winter.

The Abyssinian gladiolus belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is native to East Africa, specifically the Horn of Africa. Abyssinia is a region located north of present-day Ethiopia, east of Sudan and Eritrea. This botanical species is an ancestor of our current gladioli. It is a perennial herbaceous plant equipped with a storage organ called a corm, which is a kind of globose bulb. In spring, as soon as temperatures are warm enough, the corm develops long linear sheathing leaves, resembling a sword, measuring about 50cm (20in). They are light green, with parallel veins, and are somewhat stiff. Flowering occurs late under most climates, from August to October (depending on the regions). Flowering stems reaching a height of 80cm (32in) emerge from the foliage. Each stem bears 8 to 10 flowers along almost its entire length. The star-shaped blooms are 5cm (2in) in diameter, with a long tubular calyx. They consist of 6 tepals, 3 of which are larger and overlapping, 2 lateral, and 1 superior. The tepals are white, with purple markings at the base. The flowers' fragrance is more pronounced in the evening. This nectar-rich flowering is popular with pollinating insects. Its corm can tolerate light frosts, around -5°C (23°F), in dry soil during winter. The corms should be dug up once the foliage has turned yellow, then stored in a dry and frost-free place during winter.

Gladiolus callianthus is easy to grow, both in the ground and in pots. It is an extremely graceful gladiolus that pairs well with grasses such as pennisetum, eragrostis, or stipa, as well as with simple annuals like centaureas or nigellas, in a slightly wild and well-drained flower bed. This plant has a natural charm that is far from the rigid and somewhat kitschy appearance of its Dutch cousins. It deserves more than a row of stakes along the edge of a vegetable garden! Plant it in groups of 20 alongside gauras and linarias, for example. It can also bring life to a border of irises, which may look a bit sad after their spring blooming. Its somewhat stiff foliage can be cleverly hidden by low-growing plants with light foliage, such as nepeta or perennial geraniums.