Our Peoples Flowers floral design team gets excited at the prospect of coming up with the best arrangements using the birth flower for that month. There is a different flower for each month of the year. The flowers have the same significance that Birthstones have.
If you’re looking for an unusual birthday gift for someone whose birthday is in August, consider giving him or her flowers. This month’s flower is the gladiolus. The botanical name for the flower (which is the same as the genus name,) is gladiolus. Its common name is “sword lily,” an appropriate name because it describes the shape of the leaves on each stem. It is also the flower of the Roman gladiators who entertained people with their sword fighting matches.
We’re not suggesting that you should only give someone a bunch of gladioli for a birthday gift. These elegant and showy flowers are fantastic cut flowers because each stem is so full of buds.
The gladiolus is connected with a lot of symbolism, sentiments, and other meanings. When you give someone a bouquet of gladioli as a gift, you are symbolically piercing their heart with your love. The gladiolus is also a sign of infatuation or love at first sight.
Interesting Gladioli Information
There are roughly 260 different gladiolus species in existence. The fact that 250 of the species are indigenous to Southern Africa is somewhat surprising, particularly because home gardeners throughout the country grow gladioli very successfully. Out of the 250 species that come from places throughout areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, 160 are commonly found in countries in the Southern part of Africa. The other 76 species are most often found in tropical areas of Sub-Sahara Africa.
The species of gladioli that are commercially available today are very different from the varieties that are endemic to African countries that lie south of the Sahara desert. Thanks to centuries of tinkering, botanists have been able to create varieties of Gladioli that can grow in a very different climate than the varieties grown in Africa.
The corms and cut gladioli that are sold in the U.S. have much bigger flowers and have adapted to staying beneath the ground over the winter, in hardiness zones 7 and higher. Luckily, for folks in Albuquerque, you can leave the gladioli that you plant in spring, in the ground over the winter.
Growing Gladioli
Gladioli are outstanding additions to any home perennial garden. If you want to plant these in your garden, find a sunny location. Corms are planted in the spring when the soil is warm enough to till. You want to loosen the soil to a depth of no less than one foot. Mix a 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch into the soil before planting.
Plant each corm four inches below the surface of the soil. The pointed part of the corm should face up. If you’re planting an entire bed of gladioli, leave 3 to 6 inches of space between each corm. Cover the soil, and then put a layer of mulch over the newly planted corms. Water the soil deeply. You’ll have to water the corms often enough to keep the soil moist – unless the rain does it for you.
Explore our favorite birthday blooms, or check out other birth flowers! Peoples Flower Shops cannot wait to amaze and delight you!
