Sword Flag or Corn Flag (Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus)

Hardy, late spring-flowering bulb
Description: Bright, deep-magenta flowers, up to 15 per stem, on 24-inch stalks above sword-like, fan-shaped foliage
Habit: Grows 1 to 2 feet tall and up to 1 1/2 feet wide; may require some support
Culture: Plant “corms” 2 inches deep in well-prepared garden loam in a sunny location; plant may go dormant during hot summers
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5 through 10.
Origin: Mediterranean
Jefferson documented

10 bulbs per bag.

This species of Gladiolus, native to the Mediterranean region, is delicate and small-flowered compared to our modern hybrids. Sword Flags also tend to be more winter hardy. John Parkinson’'s Herbal, published in London in 1629, provides the first description, and it was growing in American gardens by 1800. Thomas Jefferson received 12 hardy Gladiolus bulbs from Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon in 1812. G. communis ssp. byzantinus will slowly naturalize in the garden.
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