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Gladiolus dalenii

Dalen's gladiolus

A cormous, clump-forming perennial to 1.2m tall with narrow, grey-green leaves. Flower spikes bearing up to 14 hooded flowers each 8-12cm long are produced in summer; flower colour varies from mottled orange to orange-yellow or red with yellow throats; petals are often flecked or streaked with red

Other common names

dragon's head sword lily
maid of the mist
see moreprim

Synonyms

Gladiolus primulinus
Gladiolus natalensis
see moreGladiolus dracocephalus

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Iridaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Ornamental bulbs, not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Gladiolus are cormous perennials with fans of sword-shaped or linear leaves and spikes of funnel-shaped flowers
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in a sunny, sheltered position. Plant 10 to 16cm deep on a bed of sharp sand in fertile, well-drained soil. Lift when foliage dies back, discard old corms and store new corms in a dry frost-free place until planting in the spring. In milder areas a thick dry winter mulch may be sufficient to prevent frost damage

Propagation

Propagate by separating cormlets when dormant

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to gladiolus thrip, aphids and slugs

Diseases

May be susceptible to gladiolus corm rot, grey moulds (Botrytis), Fusarium bulb rot, gladiolus core rot, gladiolus dry rot, gladiolus scab and neck rot, fungal leaf spot, and virus diseases

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