Gladiolus
The Glorious Sword
We never know how high we are
until we are asked to rise
and then if we are true to plan
our statures touch the skies —
The heroism we recite
would be a common thing
Did not ourselves the cubits warp
for fear to be king.
The tall Gladiolus is a romantic guard, with a proud and regal standing. He grows from rounded corms (which are a swollen stem base, like a bulb but without the papery outer layer). Sometimes called the sword lily, he has confident and straight stem with narrow sword-like leaves. His flower spikes are large and are supported by 2 leathery, holster-like green bracts. To go with his chivalrous nature, he produces beautiful flowers in a wide array of colors. His sepals and petals look almost identical and are called tepals, with the upper one slightly larger and arching over his three stamens. He is an honorable knight but likes to be coddled over the winter.
The Magic of Gladiolus
Correspondences
Element: Fire
Gender: Masculine
Sabbat: Unknown
Planet: Saturn
Chakra: Crown
Spellwork
Strength
Honor
Loyalty
Beauty
Love
Proverb
Hindu: The edge cuts and the sword gets the credit.
The Medicine of Gladiolus
Ayurvedic
Not Applicable
Herbology
Not Applicable
TCM
Not Applicable
Science of Gladiolus
Botany
Botanical Name: Gladiolus ssp.
Family: Iridaceae (Iris Family)
Type of Plant: Flowering bulb
Habitat: Well-drained medium wet soil, Sun
Zone: 7-10
Bloom Time: August – September
Height: 1-2 feet
Spread: 1 foot
Propagation: Division
Harvest: Cut Flowers Only
Part Used: None
Constituents: Not Applicable
Native Region: Africa, Asia, Europe
Sustainability: Unknown
Leaf
Structure: Simple
Arrangement: Unbranched
Shape: Narrow, Sword-like
Length: up to 2 feet
Margins: Entire
Surface: Ridged, sharp
Flower
Inflorescence: Indeterminate spike
Sexuality: Perfect
Stamen: Attached to perianth
Petals: 6, 2 leathery bracts
Color: Varies
Size: Varies
Sacred Story
Demeter maintained a sacred grove near Thessaly. Alas, not too far away, there lived an evil man who did not honor the gods. This foolish mortal was named Erisichthon, and he would sneak into Demeter’s sacred grove of trees to steal firewood. Her brave and devoted worshipers attempted to protect the forest, but Erischthon would kill them by cutting off their head. When she saw the pooling blood of the noble protectors, Circe the enchantress lifted sword-shaped plants from the earth and named them gladiolus. These flowers served both to protect the forest and look after the slain worshipers.
