Gladiolus Conca d'Oro - Sword Lily

Gladiolus Conca d'Oro, also known as the large-flowered gladiolus, is a variety that will bring warmth to flower beds and summer bouquets. This tall plant bears magnificent delicately pleated flowers, entirely edged in copper orange and illuminated by a wide golden yellow throat. They are tightly packed without being crowded, on perfectly formed spikes. This gladiolus, with its unusual colour and perfect flowers, is a marvel for sutting. In the garden, it will add height and a beautiful touch of colour to wildflower beds.

Cultivated gladioli, belonging to the Iridaceae family, are hybrid plants. They are divided into three main groups: Grandiflorus (large-flowered), Primulinus (early-flowering), and Nanus (butterflies). 'Conca d'Oro', registered in 2018, belongs to the first group. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with broad sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan-shaped clump of about 1.20m (4ft) high when in flower, under good conditions. The leaves are topped by a dense spike inflorescence, with numerous funnel-shaped, 10cm (4in) wide flowers, carried by sturdy stems. They are distinctly bicoloured: the petals are broadly orange and the wide throat is golden yellow. The storage organ of the gladiolus is a corm, which is a swollen stem with scales. To enjoy flowers all summer, plant your corms at intervals of 15 days, from March to May.

Gladioli and their long colourful stems are a symbol of the 70s slightly formal floral arrangements. While they are irreplaceable in bouquets, in gardens their silhouette needs the company of lush foliage or delicate flowers that will enhance their abundant flowering. Plant the corms of 'Conca d'Oro' gladiolus among clumps of blue or red salvias, daylilies, and forget-me-nots, for example. Or among ornamental grasses like Stipa or 'foxtail barley' (Hordeum jubatum). They are regulars in cottage gardens, where they accompany vegetables. For bouquets, cut the flower stems when the first floret starts to open. Plant them at two-week intervals from early spring until the end of June to bring flowers to the house and garden throughout the summer.

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 tapestries and fabrics made by the Semites before the Christian era.