Gladiolus Galaxian - Sword Lily

The Gladiolus colvillii 'Galaxian' is a variety of dwarf gladiolus that is still difficult to find in horticultural trade. It stands out for its large extraordinarily colourful flowers, in a rather fantastic combination of red, pink, violet, and white. Slightly fragrant, they usually bloom in July, along floral spikes surrounded by thin foliage gathered in a basal tuft. This hybrid has a good chance of seducing detractors of this plant, which is often considered too stiff and artificial in appearance. Sparkling, natural, and charming, it integrates much better than the large hybrids among other plants in the garden and resists better, in the ground, any not too harsh winters.

The genus Gladiolus belongs to the family of Iridaceae, the cultivated varieties are hybrids divided into 3 main groups: Grandiflorus (large-flowered), Primulinus (early flowering), and Nanus (butterfly). Gladiolus colvillii is the first known hybrid in cultivation, obtained in England in 1823 by crossing Gladiolus cardinalis and G. tristis. It is part of the gladiolus group characterised by rather small flowers, irregularly arranged on stems 40 to 45 cm (16 to 18in) tall, each bearing up to 10 florets. The lower petal of each flower, star-shaped, has a darker central zone.

'Galaxian' is a very recent cultivar. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with thin, very dark green, sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan shape and forming a 30cm (12in) high clump. The leaves are topped by one to three inflorescences in a 50cm (20in) high spike, each counting up to 7 buds. The 6-petalled flowers measure approximately 7cm (3in) in diameter. They resemble small variegated lilies in different shades of red, pink, violet, and white, and are carried by very thin stems. The flowers open gradually from bottom to top and form beautiful floral spikes. The storage organ is a corm, which is a swollen stem with scales. Each corm will produce 2 or 3 floral spikes.

Gladiolus and their long colorful spikes are undoubtedly emblematic of the 70s and associated with somewhat stiff floral compositions. While they are irreplaceable in bouquets, in gardens, their silhouette needs the presence of plants with lush foliage or airy flowers that will enhance their wildly romantic flowering. Far from this archetype, the dwarf gladiolus 'Galaxian' fits into simple perennial beds without requiring staking. It goes well with ground cover roses ('The Fairy', 'Knock Out'), small grasses (Stipa pennata or tenuifolia), forget-me-nots, penstemons, and perennial flax, for example. Play with the vivid blue of perennial flax and the soft pink of baby's breath for brightness and add here and there silver foliage (stachys, artemisias). For bouquet arrangements, cut the floral spikes when the first floret starts to open. Plant them at intervals of two weeks from early spring until the end of June to have flowers in the house and garden all summer.

The gladiolus gets its name from the shape of its sword-shaped leaves, derived from the Latin gladius. Its wild forms were often represented in jewelry or on carpets and fabrics made by the Semites before the Christian era.