Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus

Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus is probably the hardiest of the European Gladioli species and its sword-shaped foliage and tall erect stems of trumpet-shaped deep magenta flowers with pale white linear markings are a joyful addition to the garden in late Spring. Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus is a tough yet elegant species and worlds apart from the blousey overblown pastel-coloured cultivars that seem to have given Gladioli a bad name.

There is a certain amount of confusion over the correct name for this species and it has had more than its fair share of synonyms. It has been called Gladiolus byzantinus and sometimes confused with Gladiolus italicus. The name used here - Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus - is the one most familiar to most gardeners and horticulturalists. Perceived differences between Gladiolus communis ssp. communis maintain this usage. However, it is not entirely unusual to find a species where the common name in cultivation used by the majority of gardeners differs from the one given as taxonomically correct and in this case the taxonomical boffins do not recognise the two subspecies or a difference between them and they are both correctly named together as Gladiolus communis. Sometimes however, a distinction can be handy and the 'garden-variety' name has been preserved here.

Given a well-drained sandy soil and a deep mulch they are hardy in most Southern regions of the UK and in other colder areas they can be grown in containers and brought into a warmer space for the winter.