Gladiolus carneus

Tony Avent tony@plantdelights.com
Mon, 05 Mar 2007 09:37:20 PST
Max:

You bring up an interesting point about gladiolus. When I was visiting 
Gladiolus breeders in Holland a couple of years ago, I ask about any 
that might be winter hardy.  The reply was that they select against 
winter hardiness since the worst thing in their minds was that corms 
could overwinter contaminating a new variety that was subsequently grown 
in the same field.  I asked if they had ever considered breeding for 
hardy gladiolus and their answer was both no, and why would people want 
glads to be winter hardy?  Can you imagine thinking about narcissus in 
the same bizarre terms as they do gladiolus.  I'd be thrilled if someone 
would develop a good garden worthy group of sturdy and winter hardy 
glads...the species and some of the early hybrid genetics are certainly 
there for such a project.

Tony Avent
Plant Delights Nursery @
Juniper Level Botanic Garden
9241 Sauls Road
Raleigh, North Carolina  27603  USA
Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F
Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F
USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
email tony@plantdelights.com
website  http://www.plantdelights.com/
phone 919 772-4794
fax  919 772-4752
"I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent



Max Withers wrote:
> Speaking of Gladiolus, I've noticed that the "ground color" of G. 
> carneus varies from an almost pure white though pale pink to naked lady 
> pink (by which I mean Amaryllis belladonna pink, of course). Does anyone 
> know if the species is just variable, or are there different clones out 
> there?
>
> To my taste, there is no geophyte except possibly Iris that commercial 
> plant breeding has ruined more than Gladiolus. I don't mean this in a 
> snobbish way -- sometimes bigger really is better, but in this case not.
>
> Best,
> Max
>
>   


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