Many lovely flowers wind up in home flower gardens, but you'd be hard pressed to find anything that's as reliable in the flower garden as it is as a cut flower. The gladiolus fits that description perfectly. These perennial flower garden staples were originally grown in Africa, where they were endemic to Sub-Saharan countries, and the tropical areas of Africa.
Gladioli belong to the genus Gladiolus. There are roughly 260 species in the genus. Out of the 260, roughly 160 species are found commonly found in Southern Africa. Another 76 species are native to regions in tropical Africa.
The gladioli that are widely available on the commercial market, especially as cut flowers, are varieties that have evolved from centuries of horticultural tinkering and hybridizing to create a species that would work well in the home garden, but also be ideal for the cut flower industry.
Gladiolus (the singular form of the word) is the botanical name, but the name is recognizable to flower lovers everywhere. You may not know that its common name is sword lily. It gets its name from the sword-like shape of the leaves. There is an even more appropriate connection with the sword. The gladiolus was the flower of Roman gladiators. Gladiators were the super-strong warriors who displayed their skills in public fighting matches.
Gladioli are available in a range of colors, including multi-colored varieties, red, burgundy, lavender, purple, pink, white, orange, and yellow. The gladiolus is considered a symbol of character strength. It also signifies sincerity, as if to suggest that you are sincere about the love you feel for the person to whom you are giving the flowers. According to the language of flowers, gladioli are supposed to be a sign of love at first sight. The flowers can also convey a desire to 'Give me a break.'
The gladiolus is supposed to represent many sentiments, including:
- Remembrance
- Calm
- Integrity
- Infatuation
- Generosity
- Sincerity
If you are giving gladioli as a gift of love, your intention is to pierce the recipient's heart with your love.
Although gladioli are the birth flower for the month of August, these beautiful summer flowers are a wonderful gift for any reason. You can even buy them for your own home or office. They do a fantastic job of brightening any room or area. These stately and majestic flowers are arguably a perfect summer cut flower.
Let French Florist help you choose the best flowers to add to an arrangement of Gladioli. We believe that gladioli belong in every space. You get to bring a taste of a summer flower garden indoors.
