Gladiolus Pink Lady - Sword Lily

The Gladiolus 'Pink Lady' is a magnificent hybrid, in the middle of summer it bears beautiful romantic flowers adorned with different shades of pink and white. The edges of the petals are nicely fringed. The stems are strong, sturdy, covered with numerous buds. Gladiolus are incomparable cut flowers. We deliver them in a large size, 14+, for the best flowering.

The genus Gladiolus belongs to the iris family, the cultivated varieties are hybrids divided into 3 main groups: Grandiflorus (large-flowered), Primulinus (early) and Nanus (butterflies). 'Pink Lady' belongs to the Grandiflorus group. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, with broad, sword-shaped leaves arranged in a fan shape, forming a clump 80 cm (32in) high. The leaves are topped by a spike inflorescence with funnel-shaped flowers, 10 cm (4in) long, carried by sturdy stems. They are white and light carmine pink, fringed on the edges of the petals. The storage organ is a corm, which is a swollen stem with scales.

Gladioli and their long, colourful stems are reminiscent of the 70s and slightly formal floral arrangements. While they are irreplaceable in bouquets, in gardens, their silhouette appreciates the presence of plants with lush foliage to enhance their abundant yet romantically wild flowering. Plant 'Pink Lady' corms alongside sage, tobacco, bee balm, and forget-me-nots, for example. They are commonly found in cottage gardens, where they accompany vegetables all the way to the kitchen table. To make bouquets, cut the flower stems when the first floret begins to open. Plant them at intervals of two weeks from early spring until the end of June to bring flowers into the house and garden all 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 jewelry or on carpets and fabrics made by the Semitic people before the Christian era.