Gladiolus cruentus

At a glance

Exposure: Full sun
Frost limit: −12.2 °C

Cultivation

Prefers a sunny sheltered position in a light sandy neutral to slightly acid soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7. Requires a stony gritty loam. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. This species is one of the parents of the cultivated garden gladiolas.

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse at 15°c. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be grown on in the pot without disturbance for their first year, giving them an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs when they are dormant in the autumn, placing about 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another year or two in the greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring. Division. Dig up the corms in October, dry them in well ventilated conditions at about 20°c and then store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter, planting them out about 10cm deep in April. Cormlets harvested when digging up the corms in the autumn can be stored in a similar manner to the corms. Larger cormlets can be planted out in spring, smaller ones may be best grown on for a year in the greenhouse.

Edible uses

Flowers - raw or cooked. Added to salads or used as a boiled vegetable.

Habitat

Not known

Native range

S. Africa - Drakensburg Mountains.