Summary: Gladiolus monticola is a bulbous member of the Iridaceae family native to South Africa.

Botanical name: Gladiolus monticola Goldblatt & J.C.Manning Family: Iridaceae Origin: South Africa Common name: gladiolus Hardiness: zone 9 (-6°C ?). Gladiolus monticola is a bulbous member of the Iridaceae family native to South Africa. It grows on rocky sandstone slopes southwest of the Cape. The flowers, which appear in summer, are pink to apricot with darker pink markings on the lower tepals. Foliage, consisting of a single leaf, appears in autumn. We’ve been growing this species in rock gardens since 2009 and in greenhouses since 2013. The outdoor plants have survived at -4°C for a short time. Those in the greenhouse have larger foliage and a taller inflorescence. The color of the tepals corresponds to the plant growing on Table Mountain near Cape Town, harvested by Rachel Saunders and sown by us in 2007.