How to Use gladiolus in a Sentence

gladiolus

noun
  • Your prized gladiolus keeled over at high noon.
    — Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
  • Don’t be in a hurry to remove the green tops from gladiolus plants.
    — Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 24 July 2021
  • Long and upright leaf blades give gladiolus the common name sword lily.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Long and upright leaf blades give gladiolus the common name sword lily.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2025
  • In rich soil, gladiolus don't need fertilizer and bloom even in part shade.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
  • This is, in part, because the season is longer and gladioli have more time to grow outdoors without getting cut down on frosts.
    — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Feb. 2020
  • This is damage from a common insect pest of gladioli called gladiolus thrips.
    — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, 26 May 2018
  • Because of their tall flower spikes, gladiolus need a little extra support, such as a bamboo stake, to keep them straight.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Some plants do not perform well with beans, including onions, garlic, gladiolus, and fennel.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Some plants do not perform well with beans, including onions, garlic, gladiolus, and fennel.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The bride walked down the aisle while carrying a bouquet of gladiolus as an ode to her maternal grandmother.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 26 July 2023
  • The year’s bulb show kicks off with Gladiolus dalenii, a species gladiolus from South Africa.
    — Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2021
  • Garden roses and gladiolus close out the list as other flowers perfect to present a mom on the special day celebrating her.
    — Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024
  • To achieve this look, florists use flowers like bells of Ireland, hydrangeas, green gladiolus, as well as ferns, decorative leaves, and even moss.
    — Lindsay Tigar, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2017
  • Some types of summer flowering bulbs, such as gladiolus or ranunculus, cannot survive cold winters.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 9 July 2020
  • Florida gardeners and many in the more southern states have the option of leaving gladiolus bulbs in the ground or digging them and replanting in early spring.
    — Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 7 Aug. 2021
  • Today, the gladiolus stands for integrity, remembrance, and strength.
    — Samantha Lawyer, Woman's Day, 2 Feb. 2023
  • With saber-like leaves and colorful flowers, crocosmia (or its cousin gladiolus) will make a striking contrast to Orienpets.
    — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2020
  • Choose from 100 varieties, including peonies in the spring and gladiolus in the summer.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 June 2026
  • Growers in chilly climates need to dig up tender bulbs, like dahlias, gladiolus, and ranunculus, in fall and overwinter the bulbs indoors to keep these plants safe from severe cold.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024
  • Other plants on the property that have been grown in sand include gladiolus, lily-of-the-Nile (Agapanthus), and a hedge of geraniums.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
  • In ancient Rome, crowds would shower the winners of gladiatorial contests with stems of gladiolus.
    — Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 12 June 2022
  • Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas.
    — Debbie Arrington, sacbee, 2 Mar. 2018
  • This includes tender perennials like dahlias, cannas, gladiolus, agapanthus, and elephant ears. Plants in Fluctuating Temperatures In regions with frequent freeze-thaw cycles, especially in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 and 8, soil can shift and expose roots to damage.
    — Macie Stump, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Relatively disease and pest-free, gladiolus aren't fussy about soil and, once established, are moderately drought-tolerant.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Keeping gladiolus and other bulbs in bulb cages or a DIY cage made of chicken wire can add extra rodent protection and make sure nothing nibbles on your plants.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
  • An image of gladiolus feels like a set of musical variations teased out of a single line, as if the artist has challenged herself to solve some pictorial puzzle without lifting pen from paper.
    — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
  • Claudia Vasquez tucked stems of gladiolus into a rusting can of Peruvian soda, her grandmother's favorite.
    — Elizabeth Roberts, Sun-Sentinel.com, 7 Aug. 2017
  • Plant gladiolus 6 inches deep and 3 to 6 inches apart once nighttime temperatures reach 60°F.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Gladiolus can be left in the garden through winter in Zones 8–11, but gladiolus corms need to be overwintered indoors in colder areas.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gladiolus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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