This plant is sometimes considered to be a distinct species, Gladiolus edulis.

Common Name:

General Information

Gladiolus permeabilis edulis is a perennial plant growing from an underground corm. It produces sword-shaped leaves and a flowering stem up to 50cm tall
The edible corm is sometimes harvested from the wild and consumed locally.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southern Africa - Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, S. Africa

Habitat

Shale slopes and stony ground[, ]. Mostly in semi-arid areas, usually on sandy soils, in grassland and Acacia woodland[]. Grassy slopes, sandy flats, riverbanks, black turf, limestone areas[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Corm
Height	0.35 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny sheltered position in a light sandy neutral to slightly acid soil[, ]. Requires a stony gritty loam.
It is said to inhibit the growth of legumes[].

Edible Uses

Corm - cooked[, ]. The roasted bulb tastes like chestnuts[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse at 15°c[]. It usually germinates freely[]. The seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a warm greenhouse[]. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be grown on in the pot without disturbance for their first year, giving them an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs when they are dormant in the autumn, placing about 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another year or two in the greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring.
Division. Dig up the corms in early autumn, dry them in well ventilated conditions at about 20°c and then store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter, planting them out about 10cm deep in mid spring[, ].
Cormlets harvested when digging up the corms in the autumn can be stored in a similar manner to the corms[]. Larger cormlets can be planted out in spring, smaller ones may be best grown on for a year in the greenhouse.