Gladioli - Gladiolus - Gladioli Care Tips

Gladioli - Gladiolus (from Latin, the diminutive of gladius, a [Gladiator's] sword) is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae).

Sometimes called the sword lily, the most widely-used English common name for these plants is simply gladiolus (plural gladioli, gladioluses or sometimes gladiolas).

Gladioli make very good cut flowers. However, due to their height, the cultivated forms frequently tend to fall over in the wind if left on the plant.

Gladioli Care Tips: Remove faded flowers to encourage others to open. Snipping off the top two or three green buds straightens the stem and helps flowers open below. Gladioli like a lot of water, and will suffer seriously if not given enough water.