GRACING GARDENS FOR U GENERATIONS, the fast-growing gladiolus is a member of the iris family, featuring multiple funnel-shaped blossoms clustered together alongside narrow, blade like leaves. Named for gladius, the Latin word for "sword," the genus is also known as flag flower and sword lily. Glads, as they're often called, add drama to small spaces and are perfect for cut-flower arrangements. Most varieties are hardy in Zones 7 to 10, but some are rated hardy to Zone 5. They're easy to plant, deer resistant and affordable, says David R. Clark, a certified nursery and landscape professional with the New York State Nursery and Landscape Association Inc., in Hamburg, New York.
"You can buy a bag of 45 unnamed corms from your local garden center or home construction store for $17 to $20," David says.
AN EXOTIC PAST
Gladioluses flourish in many North American gardens, but most varieties are native to arid African and Mediterranean areas, David says.
"There are more than 300 species of gladiolus worldwide-260 originating from South Africa, 76 from tropical Africa and 10 Asian and Mediterranean European ones, which are some of the hardiest," he says.
Plant breeders developed the first large-flowered hybrid types in the late 1830s, and now glads offer amazing color and texture.
SIZES, SHAPES AND COLORS FOR ANY GARDEN
This story is from the August/September 2023 edition of Birds & Blooms.
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This story is from the August/September 2023 edition of Birds & Blooms.
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Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't
Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.
Maple Mania - Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
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Food-Focused and Fierce - Meet Canada jays and learn why they eat almost anything they can find
Even if you haven't heard of Canada jays, you've heard of their relatives. Members of the corvid family, they belong to the same group as American crows, blackbilled magpies, and jays including blue, Steller's and scrub. "Unlike many of the other jays, a Canada jay doesn't have a crest of any kind; it just has a rounded head," says Dale Gentry, director of conservation for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.In 2018, the Canada jay's name was changed from gray jay, but Dale thinks the former adjective was fitting. "Most of its body is shades of gray with some white," he says. "There are different subspecies that have different physical traits, but most of them have some lighter coloring on their foreheads, upper breasts and throats, each with a darker streak that starts at each eye and goes back."
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