Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: Asparagales - Family: Iridaceae
This beautiful wildflower, a member of the Iris family (Iridaceae) can be found throughout the Mediterranean region flowering on hillsides, in grassy places, olive groves and often in cereal crops where it can be invasive - see below. Roadside verges and banks are sometimes turned completely pink during the flowering season.
Gladiolus italicus flowers from March until June. It is sometimes sold as a cut flower in the Mediterranean.
This page includes pictures kindly contributed by Rob Petley-Jones.
Please Help Us: If you have found this information interesting and useful, please consider helping to keep First Nature online by making a small donation towards the web hosting and internet costs.
Any donations over and above the essential running costs will help support the conservation work of Plantlife, the Rivers Trust and charitable botanic gardens - as do author royalties and publisher proceeds from books by Pat and Sue.