Gladiolus dalenii PFAF Plant Database

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Gladiolus dalenii - Van Geel.

Common Name

Family

Iridaceae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Grassy places and open woods at elevations to 2,000 metres in Natal[260]. Regions with summer rainfall[200].

Range

S. Africa.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics
Gladiolus dalenii is a CORM growing to 1.5 m (5ft). It is in flower from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.


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Habitats
Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers; Nectar. Edible Uses: Flowers - raw or cooked. The anthers are removed and the flowers are added to salads or used as a boiled vegetable[183]. Children suck the flowers for their copious quantities of nectar[183].

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. None known

Other Uses
None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a sunny sheltered position in a light sandy neutral to slightly acid soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7[1, 200]. Requires a stony gritty loam. This species is not very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about 0°c[260]. In Britain it may be possible to plant the corms out in spring, harvest them in the autumn and store them overwinter in a cool frost-free place. This species is one of the parents of the cultivated garden gladiolas[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse at 15°c[200]. It usually germinates freely[1]. The seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a warm greenhouse[200]. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be grown on in the pot without disturbance for their first year, giving them an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs when they are dormant in the autumn, placing about 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another year or two in the greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring. Division. Dig up the corms in October, dry them in well ventilated conditions at about 20°c and then store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter, planting them out about 10cm deep in April[1, 200]. Cormlets harvested when digging up the corms in the autumn can be stored in a similar manner to the corms[200]. Larger cormlets can be planted out in spring, smaller ones may be best grown on for a year in the greenhouse.

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Expert comment

Author
Van Geel.

Botanical References
200

Links / References

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.

Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[260]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2

Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

Readers comment

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