Acidanthera: Growing and Care in the Open Ground

Acidanthera, also known as the fragrant gladiolus, Muriel gladiolus, or Muriel gladiolus, is a charming plant that is still rare in Russian gardens. Growing and caring for acidanthera outdoors has its challenges, but this hasn't stopped gardeners from steadily gaining ground.

It truly resembles the gladiolus in appearance and is its closest relative. It attracts attention with its sword-shaped, dense foliage, which creates a striking vertical foliage, and its dramatic yet graceful, butterfly-like white flowers with an inky purple center. Below, we'll discuss everything about planting, caring for, and storing acidanthera.

Description

The plant belongs to the Iridaceae family, genus Gladiolus, and species: Gladiolus Muriel. Until recently, it was classified as a separate genus, Acidanthera, which is why discrepancies can sometimes be found in the literature. The bulbous flower's foreign name, Acidanthera, is named after Lady Muriel Agnes Stewart Erskine (1879-1967), who belonged to one of Scotland's oldest families.

This herbaceous plant has a corm. It is suitable for both open and closed ground. A mature specimen can reach 1 meter in height. The leaves are sword-shaped, broad, and up to 60 cm long. Each corm has two leaves, but plants are usually grown in groups. The peduncles are long and slender, reaching up to 1.5 meters in height. The flowers are quite large, 5 to 8 cm in diameter, floating, and gathered in an inflorescence of up to 10 flowers. The outer part of the petals is snow-white, with a contrasting spot closer to the base, the color of which can vary from dark crimson to inky purple or almost black. The flower is butterfly-shaped, with petals that are sharply pointed at the tips.

Note! Gardeners sometimes wonder why fragrant gladiolus lacks a scent. The strength of the scent varies from species to species, and the aroma can be light, barely noticeable. However, fragrant gladiolus does emit a fragrance, unlike regular gladioli. The scent is not strong, but very pleasant and unique, slightly reminiscent of jasmine. It is attractive to bees. There is a hybrid of Adidanthera and gladiolus, called Gladanthera, which has a weaker scent.

Selection and pre-planting treatment of bulbs

It is better to buy planting material from domestic nurseries; Dutch bulbs may be too delicate.

How to store acidanthera bulbs before planting? Before planting, disassembled bulbs are treated with fungicides to prevent root rot and stored at 22°C for 2 weeks.

Immediately before planting, it makes sense to soak the bulbs for several hours in any growth stimulant (Epin, Zircon).

Planting in open ground

The plant is suitable for any soil, as long as it has good drainage. Planting and caring for Acidanthera mariella (murielae, bicolor, white) will be easier if you choose light, fertile, neutral, slightly acidic, or neutral soil from the start. Plant only in well-warmed soil.

Leave 20 cm between mature bulbs and plant them to a depth of about 10 cm. Add a little river sand to each hole. Water thoroughly after planting.

It's possible to germinate the bulbs before planting them outdoors. This method has its advantages:

1. The plant will be stronger and more resilient.
2. Flowering will occur faster and last longer.
3. When planting, you can immediately calibrate the plants for quality.

To germinate, plant the bulbs in peat pots at a depth of 3-4 cm in early March, up to 15 cm deep. Ideally, one bulb per pot, but 3-5 bulbs can be placed in a 15 cm pot. Place them in a warm and, most importantly, well-lit location (in temperate climates, supplemental lighting is essential in February and early March). Grow and care for them as you would any other seedling. Water the tender seedlings regularly using a drip system and ensure they have access to fresh air without drafts. A month before planting, gradually acclimate them to fresh air. Once the weather is consistently warm, plant them directly into the ground without disturbing the root system.

Features of care in open ground

Growing and caring for acidanthera in open ground isn't much different from gladioli cultivation. The main challenge is preserving the acidanthera bulbs until spring; other aspects of the process are relatively straightforward.

Watering

Acidanthera bicolor prefers abundant but moderate watering. What does this mean? The plant should receive ample moisture, but avoid overwatering. Loose, moisture-retentive soil and good drainage will eliminate most watering issues. Otherwise, consider the soil and weather conditions. During dry summers, daily watering may be necessary; avoid allowing the soil around the plant to become too dry—the bulbs will dry out quickly, weakening the plant.

As flowering begins, watering is reduced slightly to achieve brighter, more contrasting flowers, but still ensure that sufficient moisture is supplied.

Loosening and weeding

Regularly remove weeds around the plant, as they can become a breeding ground for pests. Loosen the soil to prevent it from drying out too quickly, especially during dry and hot summers. Mulching the soil can be a good idea, as it simultaneously eliminates weeds and retains moisture. Not to mention, it provides an additional decorative effect. Mulches made from crushed pine cones, bark, wood chips, rotted sawdust, peat, fine gravel, and granite chips look beautiful.

Top dressing

The plant isn't particularly fussy about nutrition. If it was planted in fresh, nutritious soil, with good care it won't require any fertilizer. However, some support won't hurt, especially if you suspect the soil is poor. The interval between fertilizing is up to you. Typical times are: once a month, once every two weeks, or once every 10 days (for particularly poor, rocky soils). During the flowering period, it's recommended to fertilize with a complex mineral fertilizer once a week.

Dosages are usually indicated on the drug packaging.

Other events

Autumn care for acidanthera includes promptly removing faded buds—this will prolong flowering. You can water the plant with a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water), especially if the autumn weather is unstable, cold, and subject to frequent, prolonged rains. In severe cold and damp weather, it's best to dig up the plants earlier.

When exactly should you dig up and how should you store acidanthera? Let's look at it below.

Wintering

Do acidanthera need to be dug up for the winter? If your region has mild winters and the soil doesn't freeze, you can leave the bulbs in the soil; just mulch the surface. Be sure to ensure proper drainage to prevent the delicate bulbs from getting soaked during spring floods.

Preparing acidanthera for winter in temperate climates involves digging it up. The fragrant gladiolus's natural habitat is Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Tanzania). It doesn't tolerate sub-zero temperatures well, so in temperate climates, the bulbs are dug up for the winter.

Acidanthera is dug up in the same way as gladioli—with a decent clod of soil to avoid damaging the young shoots. After flowering, allow the bulbs to accumulate nutrients, then dig them up, leaves included, before the first frost. The timing of digging and winter care varies by region, but typically occurs in late September, October, or early November.

The general scheme for preparing for winter is:

1. The bulbs are dug up and the stems are cut off, leaving a 2 cm long stump.
2. The children are separated.
3. How to store acidanthera immediately after digging? The planting material should be dried. Dry in a dry, shaded place at a temperature of 20-22°C. It will last for about 1 month.
4. The planting material is cleaned of any remaining roots and leaves – they will all fall off easily if the drying was done properly.

How to store acidanthera bulbs in winter? Dried bulbs are placed in peat moss or wrapped in paper towels, placed in well-ventilated boxes or perforated bags, and kept in a dry, dark place at a temperature of at least 15°C.

This means that storing acidanthera bulbs in winter can be successful in the home conditions of an ordinary apartment.

Reproduction

• reproduces vegetatively and by seeds;
• bulbs.

Like the common gladiolus, this fragrant member of the same genus reproduces well by using offspring. These are separated from the mother bulbs in the fall when dug up. In the spring, they are planted alongside adult specimens, following the general rules for planting bulbs: planting depth = bulb height, distance between plants = bulb diameter. Don't expect flowers from the young plants in the first few years; they will bloom in 3-4 years. If flowers do appear, it's best to remove them to allow the plant to gain strength.

Seeds

Like many bulbous plants, fragrant gladioli can be grown from seed. This is a labor-intensive, time-consuming process, and not very professional. However, it does have its advantages: plants grown from home-collected seeds will be more robust, stronger, and better adapted to local conditions.

Seed collection begins in the fall. Sow seeds in seedling trays in early February and keep at a normal room temperature of 20°C. Supplemental lighting is essential, otherwise the plants will stretch. Small plants are transplanted into individual containers, several at a time. They can also be planted in the ground.

Types and varieties

Since the species' taxonomy has proven quite confusing to date, there are numerous synonymous names: Acidanthera bicolor Hochst. and Acidanthera bicolor var. murielae (Acidanthera bicolor and Acidanthera murielae are the same). Botanical synonyms for these include Gladiolus callianthus Marais (Gladiolus beautifully flowered, or callianthus) and Ixia quartiniana A. Rich. This confusion stems from the fact that descriptions of the same plant were made by different botanists, in different places, at different times.

In our country, it's Acidatera Bicolor or Muriela that's typically grown. On the packaging of bulbs sold, you'll see names like: Bicolor White, Muriela, Muriel, and Bicolor. These are all the same variety.

In addition to the two-color acidanthera, today in the gardens of especially discerning connoisseurs one can find:

1. Gladiolus alba (Acidanthera white) produces small flowers with rounded petals, pure white, unspotted, and very fragrant. This is the most fragrant species of Acidanthera. Today, this plant is classified as Gladiolus alba.
2. A. fourcade. This relatively short plant has slender stems. The flowers are pinkish-purple, almost uniform in color, tapering toward the edges, and unblemished. There are only two flowers per stem, but they are charming. Today, the plant has been renamed Geissoriza fourcade.
3. A. tropicalis. A vigorous plant with ribbed foliage, very tall – up to 130 cm. The flowers are unique, snow-white or pinkish, with very bright crimson brushstrokes, reminiscent of watercolors. The flowers are larger than those of other species, gathered in inflorescences of 5-6. Visually, it is very similar to the gladiolus nanus cultivar 'Nymph' or 'Prince Claus'.
4. Ixia paniculata (or Ixia paniculata) has very beautiful flowers: white with purple veins instead of spots.
5. Gladiolus glabra. The most graceful member of the genus, with thin, narrow foliage reminiscent of grasses, and similar flowers with narrow, elongated petals. The color is a soft pink with a purple stripe down the center of each petal. The flower stalks are long and drooping. Today, this species of acidanthera is considered a form of Gladiolus profusely flowering. Gladiolus pauciflora is also included in this group. It is very similar to Gladiolus glabra, but its flowers are red rather than purple.
6. A. tubularis, or as it is classified today, Geissoriza acaulis. The flowers resemble those of Acidanthera rhizomela, with the same narrow, elongated petals, and the coloring is reminiscent of Fourcade—a delicate pink with slight thickening toward the edges.

You can also find other names: broad-petaled (with very wide perianths, which makes the flowers look like orchid flowers), pink-white (extremely rare).

Diseases and pests

The plant is fairly resistant to diseases and pests. Under unfavorable conditions, it may be affected by:

1. Onion mite.
2. Scale insects.
3. Aphids.
4. Thrips.
5. Slugs.
6. Powdery mildew.
7. Rust.
8. Root rot.

Preventive measures: proper selection of location, good drainage, no stagnant moisture in damp summers, timely removal of weeds, proper pre-planting treatment (the bulbs are treated with fungicides, growth stimulants and immunity stimulants).

Acidanthera in landscape design

Even when not in bloom, the plant is impressive and perfect for creating vertical, dynamic accents. A flowering bush is even more impressive, making it self-sufficient. Groups of fragrant gladioli look beautiful alone, surrounded by low-growing, small-flowering plants or non-flowering ones, or a lawn.

Acidanthera will be appropriate:

1. In flower beds as a dominant.
2. In groups against the background of ground cover or low-growing plants, lawns.
3. Thanks to its aroma, it is suitable for decorating recreation areas.
4. In front gardens, compositions in front of the house, along paths, especially those paved with stone.
5. On alpine hills. The plant's homeland is rocky plateaus.
6. Near decorative artificial ponds.
7. In Japanese or English style gardens, acidanthera flowers are refined and elegant.
8. In single groups. Islands of fragrant gladioli near the entrance to the house and in flowerbeds during flowering look grandiose and yet delicate, like flocks of butterflies.

Can be grown indoors or in containers. Flowers are suitable for cutting and last up to 5 days.

Pairs very well with:

1. Low-growing garden flowers that create a good dense cover: balsams, daisies, low-growing asters.
2. Any flowers in blue and purple tones that will highlight the exotic delicacy of the fragrant gladiolus: sage, aconite (remember that aconite is poisonous).
3. Any flowers that have something pristine in their appearance, evoking associations with a blooming meadow, preferably in bright crimson shades: monarda, emilia.
4. Cereals and plants of alpine hills: thalictrum, foxtail.

The corms are reasonably priced, 100-150 rubles per pack of 10. Buying planting material for this refined, delicate, and exotic flower is easy today – it's available from both importers of foreign planting material and domestic nurseries.