Gladiolus plants apparently still are blooming here. At least these stems of their flowers were for sale Friday (September 4) at the Bay Road flower stall.
Glads (technically, their plural is “Gladioli”) have a fascinating history, a small portion of which is set forth here. Their name belies their beauty; it’s inspired by the shape of their leaves. “Gladiolus” is the Latin term for “little sword,” the type that “Gladiators” dealt the death blow with. Thus, Glads also are known as “Sword Lilies,” even though they are in the Iris family.
There reportedly are at least 260 species of Glads, 10 of which originated in Eurasia and the rest in Africa. Seven species were introduced to Europe in the 1600s, according to researchers, and the cultivation of new varieties began there. Now, there reportedly are about 10,000 varieties available and probably more on the way for this popular plant. (Brooklin, Maine)