Plant half-hardy hybrid gladiolus corms directly outside in mid to late spring, or start them under cover earlier. Hardy naturalising types, including Gladiolus byzantinus, can be planted in autumn or spring. Always plant corms during the season in which they arrive.
'White Eyed Miss'
sword lily
There’s more to Gladiolus 'White Eyed Miss' that just those sparkling eyes. This Gladiolus nanus has a special, unique quality and this particularly notable feature is its multi-flowering stems. You don’t just get one flower spike per bulb, it branches out extra flower stems from the main one so you can enjoy a more prolific and long lasting show of these incredibly beautiful, dainty blooms. The glowing, warm-hued, salmon pink flowers with gleaming white markings form spires which provide colour at a height, making this perfect for the middle of a border in groups or informal drifts.
Gladioli make magnificent cut flowers and Gladiolus 'White Eyed Miss' is no exception. Plant a good number of them so you can enjoy plenty in the garden and also spare some to make an effortlessly impressive display in a tall vase. Gladioli are easy to grow in a sunny border with free draining soil. The graceful, natural appearance of Gladiolus nanus 'White Eyed Miss' means it looks particularly good in an informal or prairie scheme combined with hazy ornamental grasses like Panicum.
Quantity
Plant profile
Plant calendar
Grow gladioli in full sun, in a sheltered border or large patio container. They need free-draining conditions, so improve heavy soil with organic matter and grit or plant into a raised bed. For containers, use peat-free multipurpose compost.
Position each corm with its pointed side facing upwards, around 10–15cm deep. Space them approximately 10cm apart when planting in groups. A generous cluster creates a fuller display and allows the flower spikes to offer one another some support.
Water thoroughly after planting, then allow the soil to become nearly dry between waterings while the corms remain dormant. Once shoots appear, water regularly throughout active growth, particularly during warm, dry weather and when growing gladioli in containers.
Most gladioli remain upright without help, although staking is useful in exposed or windy positions. Remove faded flower spikes just above the foliage, then leave the leaves to die back naturally. They can be cut down to ground level in autumn.
Lift half-hardy hybrid gladiolus corms in autumn and store them somewhere cool, dry and frost free. These varieties often give their strongest display in their first year. Hardy naturalising gladioli can remain outdoors where the soil drains freely and does not become waterlogged.
- Botanical name
- Gladiolus nanus 'White Eyed Miss'
- Flower colour
- Salmon pink, white markings
- Corm size
- 10/+
- Established height
- 50-70cm
- Established spread
- 10-20cm
- Growing skill
- Easy to grow
- Habit
- Upright
- Hardiness
- Half hardy
- Leaf colour
- Green
- Mouse resistant
- No
- Plant spacing
- 30 corms per m2
- Pollinator friendly
- No
- Position
- Sheltered
- Rabbit resistant
- No
- Scented
- No
- Soil acidity
- Any
- Soil moisture
- Free draining
- Soil type
-
Loam
Sandy
Stony
Multipurpose compost
Loam-based compost - Suitable for
-
Pots
Borders
Coastal gardens
Gravel gardens
Cottage gardens
Cut flower Gardens
Large containers - Sunlight
- Full sun
- Toxicity
- No report
- Years to establish
- 1st year
Expert care from
choice to delivery
Our horticulturalists prepare every bulb and plant with the utmost care. From selection to packing, each one receives expert attention before beginning its journey to your garden.