I spent so much time trying to identify this flower that now I really want to know what it is. I'd have thought just looking for white lily purple centre (or center) would do it, but not even close. Maybe it's not even a lily? I thought Zephyranthes seemed about the right size and shape, but I can't find anything that looks quite like this. I don't need to know the cultivar name - just what in general to call it would be good. Thanks.
It is a Gladiolus! It has had several names over the past few years. Including Acidanthera bicolor.. Then Gladiolus callianthus. According to the RHS Plantfinder I believe it is now called Gladiolus murielae. http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=Ac...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1247&bih=529 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiolus_callianthus http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...6yGDQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0 P.S. We grow it here. However, it is not hardy.
Thanks, Silver Surfer. I'm glad I asked - you'd think by now I'd know what gladiolus is, but no. It never occurred to me that I didn't. At least I thought it was a bulb.
It is so very different from most Gladiolus I am not surprised that you didn't concider them. Strictly speaking Gladiolus are not bulbs, they are corms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corm http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...GQDQ&esq=10&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0
I grew a pot of this this year. What a fragrant treat--quite a reward for planting one inexpensive bag of corms. Definitely will plant this again.
I didn't notice the fragrance, Eric - I'll have to see if I can find them again. This thread is full of surprises. The only thing I thought I recognized (that it would be a bulb) is not correct, and now from a link from the Wikipedia corm article, I see the gladiolus flowers that I might have recognized. Thanks for the info about the corm, Silver surfer. I see that it was in the first-mentioned Wikipedia article that it talks about the bulbs being lifted and stored for the winter. Imagine being mis-informed by Wikipedia! That they're corms doesn't seem to be in dispute, so I edited the Wikipedia page.
