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Many
of the Gladiolus species found growing in the Southern
Regions of Africa bear little resemblance to their
commercial cousins. Gladiolus longicollis is just such
a species, and although some of its forms closely
resemble the more familiar Gladiolus tristis it
undoubtedly remains in many ways a daintier, more
delicate and quite distinctive plant.
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The
sparsely produced leaves are very rush-like and grow
to a height of approximately 45 cm. It is spring
flowering with long tubular flowers which can be white
or creamy white and which are often flecked with faint
brown markings.
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It
has a widespread distribution and its preferred
habitat is rocky grassland in which it can occur from
sea level to mountain slopes. One of the local names
for G. longicollis is Honey Flower and it is said to
be pollinated by several species of night flying
Hawkmoth. |
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One
of the local names for G. longicollis is Honey Flower and
it is said to be pollinated by several species of night
flying Hawkmoth. In its native haunts the flowers only
remain open from dusk to dawn but funnily enough this
doesn't seem to be the case with my plants which remain
open throughout the day. Maybe they're living in the hope
and expectation that an elusive Hawkmoth just might arrive
at anytime, day or night, in this part of the world. |
While
considered by some to be a rather tender plant, it
nevertheless copes very well with the vagaries of
County Antrim weather and survives outdoors throughout the
year, albeit in a pot of poor sandy soil.
If you would like to try growing this species, then
seed or corms are available from a number of suppliers in
South Africa and elsewhere. My batch of seed was obtained
from Rod and Rachel Saunders of Silverhill Seeds
in Capetown. Gladiolus longicollis is well worth growing,
as indeed are many of the many bulbous plants from this
region. |
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ref.
The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs Manning,
Goldblatt, and Snijman Timber Press 2002
www.pacificbulbsociety.org
- (Check
out the Gladiolus Index on this site to get some idea of
the sheer
variety of species Gladiolus!) www.johngrimshawsgardendiaryblogspot.co.uk
Seed Suppliers www.silverhillseeds.co.za
www.lifestyleseeds.co.za
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