August’s Birthflower: Gladiolas

With Summer coming to a close, August birthdays are celebrated with the dramatic and showy Gladiolus flowers, dramatic and colorful blooms that perfectly sum up the essence of late summer days. Today, in honor of all the August birthdays, we’re sharing some colorful and fun fact about these dramatically pleasing flowers.

The word Gladiolus comes from the Latin word “gladius” meaning sword, making it no surprise that gladiolus flowers are often times referred to as “sword lilies” because of their unique slender silhouette flaunting sharp leaves and intricate petals that come in various hues, each one hinting at a specific meaning.

During Ancient Rome, gladiators often fight “to the death of gladioli” where the winner would be showered with these colorful flowers, marking them as a symbol of honor and moral character.

One of the most popular cut flowers in the world, Gladiolas are native to Central and Southern Africa and were first brought to Britain in the mid-eighteenth century where they were eventually bred into hybrids and helped aid against sicknesses like the common cold, diarrhea, constipation, and menstruation. One must be careful however as some parts of the gladiolus plants are poisonous and can cause severe skin reactions to both humans and animals.

Because its flowers are so romantic, they say Gladiola flowers often symbolize “love at first sight” and are bestowed when the giver’s heart is pierced with flooding emotion, making it no surprise that this flower can also be a symbol of infatuation.

Throughout history gladiolas have represented symbol of calm character and strength, remembrance and sincerity, honor and glory, persistence and faithfulness. With several historical references, including the Bible, gladioli have long acted as a source of inspiration for visual artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet.

If you have any close friends of loved ones who are celebrating an August birthday or a 40th Wedding Anniversary, indulge them with one of our artificial gladiola arrangements for a permanent touch of fauxever-lasting beauty.

For more inspiration head over to our Pinterest Board dedicated to August's birth flower.

Please note all imagery featured is purely inspiration and not a product of Nearly Natural.