Gladiolus ‘dubius’

The name Gladiolus 'dubius' is now generally treated as a synonym of Gladiolus italicus (field or cornfield gladiolus), native to the Mediterranean basin, North Africa and western Asia, where it grows as a weed of cultivated fields and waste ground. This cormous plant produces narrow, upright, sword-shaped leaves and, in late spring, a loose spike of up to 20 pink to magenta flowers marked with paler blotches on the lower tepals. Reaching about 50-100 cm tall, it grows best in full sun on well-drained soil and becomes dormant in summer after flowering.