At Rose Hill Flowers, we believe that flowers are far more important than the symbol(s) for which they stand. Historically, especially during the Victorian Era, people used flowers to express things that no one would dare to utter out loud.
For every month, there is a different birth flower. The flower for the month of August is the gladiolus. Gladioli come in a range of colors, including red, burgundy, lavender, purple, pink, orange, yellow, and white.
Some Fun Facts
Gladioli belong to the genus Gladiolus. There are 260 species in the genus. All but ten of the species are native to Africa, but specifically, to places that lie south of the Sahara Desert. The 250 species are found in two geographic areas, with 160 species that are endemic to South Africa, and 76 species that come from the tropical areas of Sub-Saharan Africa.
The gladioli that are available today are different from the species that are indigenous to Africa. Over the course of centuries, botanists have tinkered with genetic traits and characteristics of the African gladioli to produce varieties that would produce fantastic cut flowers for the floral industry. They’ve also succeeded in creating hybrids that are more suited to growing in a range of hardiness zones throughout the United States.
Growing Gladioli Corms at Home
The corms that gladioli grow from are symmetrically round. Each corm is covered with layers of a brownish fibrous substance. The best time of the year to plant gladioli is in early spring, as soon as you’re sure there’s no longer any chance of frost. The ground needs to be warm enough to till so the soil can be loosened. Choose a planting site that gets full sun. It must also have excellent drainage.
When you till the soil, you’ll need to be able to loosen all the soil down to 15-inches. Plant each corm 4-inches below the soil surface. Plant corms so there are 3- to 6-inches between them. Water the bed thoroughly and make sure that the soil remains moist.
Symbolism and Meaning of Gladiolus
Gladioli are also known as “sword lilies” because of the sword-like shape of the leaves. The gladiolus was also the flower of the Roman gladiators.
When man or woman gives someone they love, a single gladiolus, or a bunch of gladioli, they are figuratively piercing the heart of the recipient.
Gladioli are also a sign of love at first sight.
The gladiolus is a symbol of character strength.
Other meanings include:
