Gladiolus tristis var. concolor

Here is a really beautiful—and rare—gem. Gladiolus tristis var. concolor has typical gladiolus flowers, but they are smaller and, in our opinion, more elegant. They open in succession on spikes, from late spring to early summer, well before other garden varieties. Gladiolus tristis var. concolor are a gorgeous shade, somewhere between ivory and sulphur yellow. To add to these attributes and, unusually for a gladiolus, this form also has a lovely fragrance in the evening—so be sure to grow it next to a patio or seating area, or even in a cool conservatory where you can grow the corms in pots and keep them inside.

Native to the grasslands of South Africa, Gladiolus tristis var. concolor is well suited to growing in full sun. It reaches 50-100cm in height. After flowering, it dies back to ground level and remains dormant over summer. The foliage then re-emerges in autumn. It may survive winter outside in milder areas, especially if protected with straw or bracken, otherwise keep it as a lovely frost-free pot plant.