Imagine color that refuses to whisper. The bold reds of Spanish flamenco. Golden yellows straight from a Moroccan spice souk. Soft pinks that capture a Provence sunset just before it fades. That's gladiolus energy—unapologetic, dramatic, and utterly summer.

These aren't shy border plants. Gladiolus shoot up between 100 and 150 cm, their sword-shaped leaves giving way to flower spikes that open bloom by bloom from bottom to top. It's a slow reveal that keeps you watching, keeps the garden interesting from mid to late summer when other plants are taking a break.

A Flower with Ancient Swagger

The name says it all—"gladiolus" comes from the Latin word for sword. Roman gladiators wore them as talismans of strength and protection before entering the arena. Whether that actually helped is debatable, but the symbolism stuck. These are flowers with backbone.

Native to Africa and the Mediterranean, gladiolus know how to handle heat. Give them sun and well-drained soil, and they'll reward you with weeks of cutting-garden abundance. The color range is almost absurd—nearly every shade imaginable lines up along those tall spikes, sometimes in gradients, sometimes in bold blocks of pure pigment.

Plant Them. Cut Them. Repeat.

Gladiolus make exceptional cut flowers because they keep opening even after cutting. Harvest them when the first few blooms show color, and you'll get a week-long show in the vase. Meanwhile, back in the garden, the next round of spikes is already pushing up.

Our premium corms are sized for vigorous growth and abundant flowering—the kind that gives you armfuls of stems all summer long.