Gladiolus Imbricatus

This is probably the hardiest of all gladioli, down to Zone 3 it is claimed, and also strangely, one of the rarest! It makes a dense spike of large, rich coloured flowers, attractively marked on the lower petals, and usually in shades of deep purple to carmine. This is certainly the best and most valuable of the Mediterranean species, a genus containing many inferior plants, as well as this gem!