Fragrant gladiolus is a flowering bulb native to Africa in the iris (Iridaceae) family. The Genus name comes from the Latin word for a small sword in reference to the leaves. The graceful 6-petaled flowers are fragrant and open successively on nodding stems The foliage grows in the typical fan shape of irises. The plant can reach 2-3 feet in height. This plant does best in full sun in moist soil with good drainage. Protection from strong winds is helpful. As this is a later blooming bulb it can be mixed with the earlier blooming ones to prolong the season. Use in the border of garden beds or containers. Be sure to provide water during dry spells. Corms are planted after the first frost or started indoors for earlier blooms. Depending on the size of the corm, they should be planted 2-6 inches deep and 6-8 inches apart. Planting in groups of at least 5 gives the best effect. The coms can be left in the ground over winter in zones 7-10 but will need to be lifted in colder climates. Allow the foliage to yellow before cutting it back. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to botrytis, crown rot, rust, wilt and mosaic virus. Watch for aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites and thrips. Avoid heavy clay as corms will rot. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants", a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Gladiolus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheChrysanthemum x morifoliumDianthus caryophyllusIris x germanica
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Bulb; Herbaceous Perennial; Perennial
Life cycle
Bulb; Perennial
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Wet
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Dense; Erect
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The sword-shaped green leaves are up to 2 feet long and 1/2 inch wide and grow in a fan shape in groups of 5-7. They have weakly developed secondary veins.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Edible; Fragrant; Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Funnel; Star
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The 2-3 inch star-shaped flowers are white with a maroon throat. Each petal has a pointed tip. They appear on tall scapes and bloom successively on nodding stems in late summer to fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Green capsule matures to brown and splits to release seeds.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Smooth green stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical Africa
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Pond; Small Space; Walkways
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#full sun tolerant #bulb #white flowers #maroon #summer bulbs #showy flowers #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #herbaceous perennial #corm #cutting garden #perennial #fragrant flowers
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Bulb Mites
Disease problems
Southern Blight of Herbaceous Ornamentals
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses