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Gladioli requiring specialist care

Less widely grown than their cut flower and garden cousins, species gladioli are less showy but offer a delicate charm. They often need specialist conditions so it's best to grow them as specimens in pots rather than as garden border plants. They flower in several seasons throughout the year, some as early as late winter in greenhouses.

Species gladioli to try 

Many of the species below are best protected from frost in winter by a cold glasshouse.

  • Gladiolus tristis flowers in late spring/early summer, bearing white blooms that are flushed green in the centre. Scent is detectable in the evening.
  • G. cardinalis bears red blooms with white markings. It's summer flowering and half hardy so needs protecting from frost.
  • G. carneus is a delicate pale pink, flowering in late spring/early summer. Best protected from frost.
  • G. dalenii has a specturm of flowering forms in reds, yellow and oranges. It flowers in late summer/early autumn. Protect from frost.
  • G. flanaganii bears red flowers in summer. Hardy in free-draining conditions.

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