Description and characteristics of wild and cultivated varieties of gladioli

Growing a gladioli collection in your garden is a fascinating hobby for gardeners. Modern gladioli varieties are striking in their diversity. Each type of this majestic flower is unique. They don't require complex growing conditions, are easy to propagate, and rarely suffer from disease. Gladioli are planted individually in groups or as an addition to flowerbed arrangements.

Varieties of gladioli

Perhaps the best flower to collect in the garden is the gladiolus. The variety of colors and varieties of these plants is astonishing. Gladiolus belongs to the Iridaceae family, and the wild species are native to the tropical and subtropical forests of the Mediterranean. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, hybrid varieties have been developed; these are the plants known as garden gladioli. It's worth learning about the different hybrids in advance.

Wild gladioli

Various species of wild gladioli are often used in landscape design. These include:

• imbricated;
• kochi;
• Byzantine;
• swamp;
• ordinary;
• sowing.

Wild varieties are distinguished by increased frost resistance; the tubers do not need to be replanted; the rhizome overwinters under cover.

Cultivated varieties

The collection of varietal gladioli consists of various hybrids and is represented by a wide variety of colors and inflorescence shapes. The petals of cultivated varieties can be ruffled and multicolored.

Note! Cultivated varieties require more care than wild varieties. The tubers should be dug up in the fall and stored for the winter, and planted in early spring.

The best varieties with descriptions: the color diversity of gladioli

Understanding the wide variety of varieties and colors of these majestic flowers isn't easy. In horticulture, gladiolus hybrids are divided into groups based on the primary petal color. Let's look at popular varieties of these majestic plants.

Whites

White inflorescences offer a stunning range of shades: from pure white to delicate champagne with pink or greenish hues. These varieties can have ruffled petals and double inflorescences, while single-flowered varieties are distinguished by their elegance and resemblance to lilies and calla lilies.

A royal gift

The beige-pink color is applied to the ruffled petals in the form of iridescent patterns and bright pink stripes. The petals are ruffled above average, and the flower is large.

Tsar's Gift is a mid-early variety bred in Russia and is suitable for cutting.

Mother Winter

This variety features pure white petals, although a greenish tint is acceptable. Mother Winter is a domestically bred, early-ripening variety. About 20 large flowers form on a stem, opening uniformly. It's ideal for bouquets and a winner of various exhibitions.

Snow White

A magnificent variety of perfect white gladioli. A subtle pink edge may appear along the petal edges during dry periods, disappearing after rain. Florists use it in bouquets and landscape flower arrangements. It is a mid-early variety.

White-stone Moscow

A super-ruffled, double-flowered exotic variety bred domestically. Its petals are white with a green tint. "Moscow White Stone" is a winner of various exhibitions, striking in its originality and the size of its blooms.

Yellow-cream

The palette of yellow-cream colors is diverse; it seems like an artist's work has been at work on these flowers. Natural colors have been improved by breeders, and the gladioli collection has been expanded with hybrids in pink-yellow and orange-burgundy colors.

Halloween

A spectacular large-flowered hybrid. The blooms are a rich yellow, with a bright orange, pumpkin-colored edge. Ruffling is minimal, and the blooms have a classic, natural shape. The Halloween hybrid is used to create vibrant accents in flowerbeds, and is ideal for cutting and bouquets.

Quadrille

A domestically bred variety, its creamy yellow base color blends smoothly toward the petal edges, becoming brighter. A delicate red spot peeks out from the center of the bud. This hybrid's flirtatious, delicate coloring is beloved by gardeners for the grace and beauty of its buds. It's an early-ripening variety.

Pink

Delicate pink evokes lightness and beauty, making it ideal for wedding bouquets and arrangements. Bright pink hues make a striking addition to flower beds.

George Soros

A double hybrid with heavily ruffled petals. The flowers are large and elongated, each bud containing several shades of pink, from soft pink to deep amethyst. This plant is suitable for growing in our country, is undemanding, and easy to propagate.

Merchant

A popular domestically bred variety, it is grown throughout the world. Merchant's flowers are very large and ruffled, with dense, rich salmon-colored petals and prominent stamens. A single inflorescence produces over 20 buds, and the spike is tall and slender.

Boyarynya

A new variety bred domestically in 2016. The flowers are deeply ruffled, the petals are a rich pink, and the edges of the inflorescences are dissected. Suitable for cutting, it makes an elegant addition to flower beds in the garden.

Green-flowered

Green is a popular hue in landscape design and among florists. Green hues are typical of white, yellow, pink, and cream varieties.

Green Cockatoo

The main petal color is light green, with a small, elegant red spot on the lower petals. The stamens are not prominent in the bud and are the same color as the main petals. The petals are ruffled.

Peacock feather

A unique tricolor variety, the medium-sized flowers are greenish-pink with a vibrant burgundy edge along the ruffled petals. The plant grows to a medium height of 65 centimeters.

Peacock feathers are valued for their unique coloring and ease of cultivation.

Orange

Orange-colored varieties will decorate autumn flower beds and allow you to create a bright, life-affirming bouquet.

The obvious is incredible

A red-orange hybrid bred in Russia. Each spike bears 22 buds, which bloom in clusters of eight. The lower petals have white centers, and the flowers are large, yet the plant is medium-sized. Suitable for cutting and flowerbeds.

Orange Mirage

The flower's fiery color will captivate any gardener. The rich orange petals are complemented by a juicy yellow center, the petals are ruffled, and the buds are large. Orange Mirage is a long-growing gladioli, reaching a height of 1.5 meters.

Ballet star

A salmon-cream hybrid with a delicate cream center at the neck. The petals are ruffled and striking. Long considered one of the best orange gladioli varieties.

Brown

The luxurious petal color of this color group allows for the creation of elegant bouquets; the texture of the petals resembles velvet. Today, coffee-colored and almost black varieties are available.

Ancient magic

An exotic variety of smoky gladioli. Bred in Moscow. The petals are ruffled and shortened, with a thin yellow border along the edges. It forms a slender spike with 20 medium-sized buds.

Chocolate

A large-flowered hybrid with a dark brown color and a slight purple tint. It is a late-blooming gladioli, reaching a height of 1 meter. The petals are regular in shape with a distinct burgundy stripe down the center. The plant is easy to grow, propagates easily, and produces numerous offspring.

Red and burgundy

The classic coloring of garden gladioli. This group includes bright scarlet, red, burgundy, and amethyst shades.

Crown

An ideal cut flower variety, the stem reaches 170 centimeters in height. The rich, uniform red color of the petals, adorned with a thin silver edge, makes this large flower graceful and striking. The flowers are medium-sized and simple in shape.

Robin Hood

A Russian-bred hybrid of ruffled gladioli with red, velvety petals. Developed by crossing the Krasnaya Moskva and Bela Neznama varieties. The buds have a rich, matte color with a garnet hue. It is considered an early-blooming gladioli.

The Great Temptation

A ruffled variety with delicate, rich red petals. Suitable for cut flowers and flowerbeds, the flower head reaches 130 centimeters. This hybrid is easy to propagate and is resistant to rain and adverse weather conditions.

Black Atom

A Russian selection. The petals are dark red with a brown tint, matte. The inflorescences look spectacular in bouquets and garden beds. The plant reaches 160 centimeters in height.

Salmon palette

Salmon-colored gladioli are used to create wedding bouquets and light summer arrangements; in the garden, these flowers are planted in rock gardens and multi-flowered flowerbeds.

Mlada

A heavily frilled hybrid with a delicate salmon-pink hue and a mid-early blooming season. It produces 20 buds per spike. The inflorescences are two-rowed. The plant reaches a height of 150 centimeters and is suitable for cutting.

Jo Ann

A fabulously colored gladiolus. The ruffled flowers are simple in shape, a delicate salmon color with a bright yellow center on the lower petals. Suitable for cutting and landscaping.

Lilac-purple

An unusual color that closely resembles the natural color of wild gladioli. This group includes varieties bred in Russia and the Netherlands.

 

Black Velvet

Black Velvet is a vibrant purple gladiolus with a rich coloring, matte, velvety petal texture, and very large, simple-shaped flowers. It is a Dutch selection of lilac hybrids. In the absence of sunlight, the buds and blooms appear completely black.

Guest from the Future

This unique variety will be a unique addition to your gladioli collection. The delicate flowers are a light lilac, with purple veins on the lower petals. Suitable for cut flowers and flower beds, the spikes reach 1 meter in height.

The Magic Flute

An unusual purple hybrid with white veins on the arrow-shaped petals and a white center. Designed by Baranov.

Blue

A gardener's dream is to diversify their gladioli collection with blue varieties. Recommended varieties in our country include: Angel Snezhny, Admiral Ushakov, Aquatoria Leta, Blue Cat, and Golubaya Babochka.

Blue

Among the blue shades, the following have gained great popularity among Russian florists and flower growers: Evening Star, Blue Topaz, Blue Pool, and Khlem-487.

Smoky

Agate beads, Bison 595, Silver Stream, Mysterious Atlantis, Mysterious Chocolate are chic representatives of the smoky palette.

Purple

Sky and Stars, Cote d'Azur, Ultraviolet, Night Star are popular varieties of dark purple gladioli.

Gladiolus varieties with large flowers

Florists often prefer large-flowered gladioli varieties for bouquets and flower arrangements. For cut flowers, they use varieties with stems over 1 meter tall and flowers over 10 centimeters in diameter.

Popular varieties of large-flowered gladioli: Vera Lynn, Costa, Violetta, Blue Bird, Faro, Nashville and others.

Terry

In Russia, double-flowered gladioli are very popular, and breeders are constantly working to create new varieties of these varieties. The corrugation, volume and diameter of the flower distinguish Russian gladioli from simple Dutch ones.

The most popular varieties in our country are: Dmitry Solunsky, Favorit, Vestochka, Gimnazistka, Kornet, and Serdtse Dzhungley. Double varieties are available in a variety of color palettes.

Short stature

Low-growing gladioli are ideal for flowerbeds, with stems less than 1 meter tall. The stems don't break under the weight of the flowers or in rain or wind. Low-growing varieties include Atom, Tropical Sunset, and Charm.