Pink Gladiolus or Wild Gladiolus
Common name
Pink Gladiolus or Wild Gladiolus
Scientific Name
Gladiolus caryophyllaceous
Type of plant
Bulbs or Corms
About this weed
These attractive pink perennial garden escapees (with an unpleasant smell) are common in urban and Banksia woodland in spring. But, there is a misunderstanding that as these plants are so common, they are also native to the Perth Region. Originally from Africa , they are now endangered in South Africa.
Description
Gladiolus are cormous perennials that grow to 0.8 m high. In spring their bright pink flowers stand out in bushland. The leaves have a distinctive red margin and are slightly twisted. Gladiolus reproduce from both seed and corms and both can lie dormant for some time. Seed is dispersed by wind and the seedbank may persist fr up to 5 years. It will generally survive fire and a fire in bushland can bring stimulate corms out of dormancy. As it flowers particularly well following fire, seedling recruitment in the seasons following fire could be very high.
Impact on Bushland
If left will spread over bushland and impact plant communities.
Location
Commonly seen on the Swan Coastal Plain and Jarrah forest, extending as far as Lake Grace. It prefers grey or white sand and loam.
Priority for removal
High: a major threat to the conservation values of Banksia woodlands and the Swan Coastal Plain.
Management (hand)
Wipe individual leaves with Glyphosate 10 %. Optimum treatment months are July to September.
Management (herbicide)
Spray dense infestations in degraded areas with 1% Glyphosate just on flowering at corm exhaustion. Read the manufacturers’ labels and material safety data sheets before using herbicides. Optimum treatment months are July to September.
Flowering month/s
August, September, October
Flower colour/s
Pink
Information source
https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/1520
Additional information
https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/weeds/swanweeds/
Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Dodd, J., Lloyd, S.G. and Cousens, R.D. (2007) Western weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia, Second Edition, The Weeds Society of Western Australia, Victoria Park, Western Australia.
