Practical
Plants

Gladiolus permeabilis edulis

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Iridaceae
Height
0.5 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

Corm - cooked[5][7]. The roasted bulb tastes like chestnuts[2].

Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
S. Africa - Cape Province.
Habitat
Stony ground[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse at 15°c[3]. It usually germinates freely[1]. The seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a warm greenhouse[3]. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be grown on in the pot without disturbance for their first year, giving them an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs when they are dormant in the autumn, placing about 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another year or two in the greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring. Division. Dig up the corms in October, dry them in well ventilated conditions at about 20°c and then store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter, planting them out about 10cm deep in April[1][3]. Cormlets harvested when digging up the corms in the autumn can be stored in a similar manner to the corms[3]. Larger cormlets can be planted out in spring, smaller ones may be best grown on for a year in the greenhouse.

Cultivation

Prefers a sunny sheltered position in a light sandy neutral to slightly acid soil[1][3]. Requires a stony gritty loam. This plant is sometimes considered to be a distinct species, G. edulis. It is said to inhibit the growth of legumes[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  4. Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938-00-00

    ↩

  5. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  6. Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-584-10141-4

    ↩

  7. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

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