Image by Anthony Hamilton

This plant is rare, and when I say rare, I mean so rare that it was only recently rediscovered. Gladiolus x brenchleyensis had grown for around twenty years in a garden on the Isle of Man, with owner Edward Huyton entirely unaware that this bloom was supposed to be extinct.

That all changed when Mr Huyton attended a lecture by Professor Michael Tooley, who used an image of the plant in his talk and pointed out its status. Huyton recognised it, and since that day he has shared corms and bulbils from his plants with specialists around the country in an effort to preserve this plant.

It was one of Gertrude Jekyll’s favourite plants, and she planted big drifts of the large scarlety flowers in her designs. But if you’re hoping to get your hands on it, you may have a wait on your hands as the process of identifying this plant and ensuring it is what we think it is will take a minimum of three years. Worth the wait.

Vital stats
Location:
Neutral/Acid soil, well drained
Light:
A sheltered warm site in sun
When to plant:
Spring
What can I expect from this plant?
Height: 80cm
Spread: 20-70cm
Flowers: Summer/Autumn

5:00 pmin flowers, grow this by adminTags: grow this
Comments Off