Gladioli

The gladiolus is perhaps the most famous summer flower. It is known as the flower of August, which gives away its moment of bloom. Although there are also short varieties of gladioli, they are usually very long. The fact that the names gladiolus comes from the Latin word for sword makes this even more obvious.

Because of its length, gladioli are not only popular in gardens but also for use in flower bouquets. The Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh created several paintings featuring gladioli before he painted his even more famous sunflowers. Gladioli are native to many countries in Europa, Asia and Africa, but the most important region of origin is the very south tip of South Africa. Gladioli are an important flower bulb crop in Holland and are grown throughout the country. The bulbs finds their way to gardens all over the world and are also used for the production of cut flowers in many countries.