About Gladiolus palustris Gaudin
Gladiolus palustris Gaudin grows to an average height of 30 to 60 centimeters (12 to 24 inches). Its stem is erect, glabrous (hairless), and unbranched. It produces a spherical corm with cross-linked fibers at the top. Its leaves are shorter than the stem, simple, sword-shaped, and marked by parallel venation, reaching 4 to 9 centimeters (1.6 to 3.5 inches) in length. The inflorescence holds three to six trifoliate hermaphroditic flowers, is roughly 30 centimeters (12 inches) long, and has rosy violet or magenta perigonia. This species flowers from May through July, and it is pollinated by bumblebees. Gladiolus palustris is native to Central and Northwestern Europe. It can be found in eastern France, Switzerland, southern and eastern Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. It is also present in the Italian Alps, Austria, Hungary, and is more common in the Balkan region. Additional populations of this species occur in Eastern Europe, including Romania. Despite its species epithet palustris, meaning 'of marshes', this plant does not grow in marshes. It prefers calcareous, moist, humus-rich environments that alternate between wet and dry conditions, including wet meadows and forest clearings. It grows at a maximum altitude of 1,200 to 1,500 meters (3,900 to 4,900 feet).
