[Fermi]

From South Africa G. papilio has been in cultivation for a long time and almost certainly contributed to the development of the complex large flowered hybrids. I knew it for many years as the sombre but interesting grey mauve flower which hangs it's head...About three years ago I acquired from Avon bulbs a totally different colour form called G. p 'Ruby' (3rd picture) which is otherwise similar to the typical form but a deep ruby red.

I got seed of the ruby form of Gladiolus papilio but it must've been cross-pollinated as the resulting flower is lovely but not what I expected! It is quite vigorous too - though it took 7 years to flower from seed - the first flowers were in February last year and I planted it out in the garden where it has come into flower in less than 11 months and in an abundance!
cheers
fermi

[Alisdair]

A very lucky seedling, Fermi, well worth propagating!

[Fleur Pavlidis]

Congratulations, Fermi, on keeping a non-flowering pot of seedlings safe and labelled for seven years.

[Daisy]

Lovely colour Fermi. I used to grow G. papilio in Cornwall. So moody I loved it, but your new seedling is a gorgeous shade. Congratulations. I hope you toasted your new seedlings flowering with a glass or bottle of champagne.
Daisy

[Fermi]

 A friend gave us this red flowered hybrid Gladdie a few years ago and it is doing well this year
cheers
fermi

[Fermi]

This gladdie came up last year in a bed where I hadn't planted it (or at least didn't remember planting it!).
This year it has come into flower and it appears to be Gladiolus dalenii, though the flower looks a bit different to the ones that flowered in another part of the garden (fourth pic),
cheers
fermi

[Alisdair]

Could it perhaps be a self-sown hybrid, Fermi?

[Fermi]

Hi Alisdair,
the next florets to open were more typical for Gladiolus dalenii so I guess the first one was just an aberration!
I must've moved a corm up here from the other part of the garden at some time in the past - possibly when moving something else or I might've found a corm and just planted it here as somewhere to put it. Obviously I can't label everything!
cheers
fermi

[Alisdair]

But a nice aberration anyway.

[Fermi]

I showed a (poor quality) pic of this gladdie in 2014 when it first flowered.
Gladiolus gracilis grown from seed from Gordon Summerfield
cheers
fermi

[Alisdair]

What subtle colouring!

[Umbrian]

After many years without them I I planted some Gladiolus Acidanthera murieliae this year prompted by a request to help a group of post operative cancer suffers find new interests and hope in their lives.- the idea that planting things and ( hopefully) seeing them grow would be therapeutic. I thought long and hard and amongst other things gave each participant six corms of the above. Those remaining I planted for myself.
I have received 'photos of successful results with enthusiastic comments as to their beauty and wonderful perfume and I too have been delighted to rediscover this lovely plant.

[John J]

Carole, this poor plant seems to have gone through a bit of an identity crisis. Apparently it started as an Acidanthera before becoming Gladiolus callianthus. I bought some bulbs under this name from the Chelsea Flower Show in 2012. I gave half to my sister in Derbyshire, as I was staying with her, and brought the rest home to Cyprus. Mine grew but did not flower, before giving up altogether, while hers produced an abundance of flowers and came back the following year. I must ask her how they have fared since then.
I see they are now known as Gladiolus murielae. 

[JTh]

Actually, it has changed name again, according to The Plant List the accepted name is now Gladiolus murielae. I have grown it a few times in Norway, I  seem to remember they were sold under the name Ixia (I remember the genus only, and not the species). They flowered well the first summer, but I didn't have much luck the second year, although I tried to overwinter the bulbs in a frost-free place.

[David Dickinson]

I too grow [/i] Gladiolus murielae. But it only flowered for me the first year, 3 summers go. Last year lots of leaf growth but no flowers and this year the same. The leaves came up even later this year and are now at about a metre high. I changed the position they are in last autumn and they only get afternoon sun now so the pot (large) they are in doesn't start to get baking heat until after 13.00. Could this be the problem?

Whatever the problem is, I intend to dig them up and dot a few around the garden in various places to see which is the best spot for them.