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 the rocky sandstone slopes southwest of Cape Town. The flowers that appear in summer are pink to apricot with darker pink markings on the lower tepals. The foliage, consisting of a single leaf, appears in autumn. We have been growing this species in rock gardens since 2009 and in greenhouses since 2013. Outdoor plants survived at -4°C for a short time. Those in greenhouses have larger foliage and taller inflorescences. The color of the tepals corresponds to the plant growing on Table Mountain near Cape Town, which was harvested by Rachel Saunders and planted by us in 2007.