Several years ago I bought an assortment of glads from different sources and this year I got a surprise. Has anyone seen this variety before or know what it is? - I would love to get more. Thanks,
Don't know, but I like it... Anyhow, googling shows me a general shape to the flower is consistent with Gladiolus dalenii. Sort of inverted triangle with the apex somewhat less overt and curled under. Apparently sometimes called the parrot glad, according to Pacific Bulb Soc. they are typically red, red-orange, yellow. The other thought I had was perhaps Gladiolus crassifolius, but Pacific Bulb says they should have a darker stripe on the lower tepals. The Pacific bulb page on some of the glads is moderately interesting as to species appearance.
here's an interesting article about how glads were brought from southern Africa to Europe and North America (and some are apparently native to parts of Europe incl UK) (disclaimer - I have no association with this website linked below) the Glad d. cited above - it apparently naturalized in the USA (Alabama Glad) here is the link - and then scroll down and on the right hand side you'll see four (4) photos - titled "Glads naturalized in United States" (ie escaped cultivation) Wild about Glads: Stalking the Wild Gladiolus - Dave's Garden in looking at the various native species pix of African glads - I am amazed how much some of the glad flower blooms resemble the beautiful (and hard to find) BC native "Mariposa Lily" (mariposa is spanish for butterfly - and in the late spring in the Okanagan, they sure do look like butterflies just hovering above the spring tall native grasses esp if there's a light breeze thru the open ponderosa forest.) (I am accustomed to seeing the pale purple Mariposa's - I think they are the C. gunnisonii Calochortus - Wikipedia
