Taken as a whole, the gladiolus has many different qualities. To give a few examples: because of their beauty, gardens and greenhouses are always full of them. The plant is strong and hardy; it can live in most warm and semi-warm countries of the world, and it is known everywhere. Because it is considered very healthful, it plays an important role in making herbal medicines, and it also has many commercial uses. For years it has been grown from its corms.
Kurdish name
Gula şemşîrî, the “sword flower”. It is different from the hêro, the hollyhock of Kurdistan.
Number of species
There are 260 species, 250 of them in Africa.
Season
Summer. The corms are planted in spring and flower 10–12 weeks later. Within one season they are planted several times in succession, so that the flowers are always available on the market.
Written by Weysî Silêman Elî · Last updated 28 September 2026
