To modern-day gardeners, a gladiolus brings much calmer delight. The flower's link to the ancient warriors lies in the Latin word for sword, gladius, which describes the flat, sword-like foliage of gladioluses. In summer, spikes packed with radiant flowers and measuring up to 6 feet tall add drama to borders, perennial beds and even vegetable gardens.
Miniature varieties yield beauty on a more delicate scale.
Indoors, glads have been a favorite of florists for years, and are superb in cutflower arrangements. Although the plants are primarily native to the Mediterranean, Africa and other tropical regions, hybridizers have spent more than 100 years breeding gladioluses to grow in just about every spot in the world. The variety is astounding. Samuel Fisher, international registrar for the North American Gladiolus Council and a commercial grower in Madera, says he has recorded more than 300 species and 25,000 hybrids worldwide. Most of the hybrids popular in the United States fall under Gladiolus hortulanus.