- Botanical name: Gladiolus tristis
- Common name: Evening gladiolus
- Family: Iridaceae
- Plant Type: Bulb
Yellow
Green
- Key features:
- Attractive to wildlife
- Scented flowers
Native to the marshy grasslands of southern Africa, Gladiolus tristis, or the evening gladiolus, is a spring-flowering perennial that grows from corms.
It’s well suited to growing in an informal setting outdoors, but also makes a lovely potted specimen for a cool greenhouse.
In the UK, Gladiolus tristis benefits from being planted in full sun in a well-drained and humus-rich soil. Look out for the foliage, which emerges in autumn following summer dormancy, and support it with twiggy stems poked in the ground.
How to grow Gladiolus tristis
-
Plant size
60cm height
20cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Front, middle
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Hardiness: Hardy
- Soil type: Acidic / chalky / alkaline / clay / heavy / moist / well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do not Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does not flower in July |
A
Plant does not flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
Gladiolus tristis and wildlife
Gladiolus tristis is known for attracting bees. It has nectar/pollen rich flowers.
Attractive to Bees
Does not attract Beneficial insects
Does not attract Birds
Does not attract Butterflies/Moths
Does not attract Other pollinators
Is Gladiolus tristis poisonous?
Gladiolus tristis is harmful if ingested and causes an upset stomach.
Toxic to Cats
Toxic to Dogs
Toxic to Horses
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
Plants that go well with Gladiolus tristis
