Gladiolus grandiflorus Apricot Beauty - Sword Lily

Gladiolus 'Apricot Beauty' is a softly luminous, large-flowered variety, prized for its peach-apricot, slightly pink-tinged flowering, borne on well-filled spikes. Its upright stems, one metre tall, stand out in sunny borders. Highly sought after for cut flowers, it has long, sturdy stems whose buds open one after another.

A hybrid of Gladiolus grandiflorus, gladiolus 'Apricot Beauty' belongs to the horticultural group of large gladioli or Grandiflora, characterised by stately flower spikes and flowers 8 to 10 cm in diameter. A member of the Iridaceae family and derived from mostly South African species, it develops from a corm, a storage organ that allows it to survive winter in dormancy. The plant forms a very upright clump, 90 to 110 cm in height with a spread of 20 cm, composed of deciduous foliage. Its medium green, narrow, sword-shaped, linear leaves dry up and disappear after flowering. The rigid flower stems bear a spike adorned with numerous funnel-shaped flowers, with slightly ruffled petals, in a peach-apricot tone nuanced with pale pink or soft yellow towards the throat. This flowering occurs in summer, from July to September, beginning approximately 70 to 100 days after planting.
Not very hardy (around –5 °C), this gladiolus is normally cultivated as a classic summer bulb: the corms are lifted in late autumn in regions with cold or wet winters, to be stored dry and cool.

In the garden, plant Gladiolus 'Apricot Beauty' in small groups at the back of borders or in rows in the vegetable garden. Its peach colouring pairs beautifully with the Dahlia 'Crème de Cassis', with its bicolour purple and pink flowers, or with the Coneflower 'Vintage Wine', in wine-red pink. In front, an edging of Gaura 'Baby Butterfly Dark Pink' lightens the whole with its clouds of small pink flowers, while at the back, Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' will be decorative until late summer. In a cut flower arrangement, combine a few spikes of 'Apricot Beauty' with dark gladioli or with ornamental grass plumes to create understated, artistic displays.
For cut flower arrangements, cut the stems as soon as the first floret begins to open. Plant gladioli every two weeks, from early spring until the end of June, to enjoy them all summer long, at home and in the garden.

The Gladiolus genus takes its name from the Latin gladius, meaning sword; in the Netherlands, gladioli are even presented to walkers who complete the "Four Days of Nijmegen", extending their ancient symbolism of strength and victory.