Abyssinian gladiolus

 
This is the first time I've grown these bulbs. I just picked them up at Home Depot early in the spring. Gladiolus murielae is also known by a variety of common names including "Peacock Orchid," "Sword Lily," "Acidanthera" and "Fragrant Gladiolus". It is native to the mountain areas of East Africa. They grow about 2 feet tall and bloom in late summer. They are supposedly hardy in our zone (zone 7). So far, not as much profuse bloom as I'd hoped but there has been a scattering of blooms during the past weeks.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy