Gladiolus are popular garden flowers native to Africa. They come in many colors and combinations of color with flowers on long spikes that can last for a few weeks. To prolong the show, vary the planting dates to prevent them from all blooming at once. Gladiolas are sold in spring as corms which are much like bulbs. These corms can be dug up in fall and stored in a cool dry frost-free location for planting next year. Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist, named the gladiolus after the Latin word for sword for its sword-like leaves. The word gladiator also comes from the same Latin origin.
Growing Home - Gladiolus
