The August Monthly Flower Spotlight is the gladiola or gladiolus, a beautiful flower with a colorful history. The gladiola is part of the iris family and means ‘love at first sight’ when it’s given as a gift. These flowers are called the ‘sword lily’ because they were referred to as the flower of Roman gladiators. Another reason these flowers are referred to as swords is due to the shape of the leaves. At Enchanted Florist, a Top Rated Local® florist located in Pasadena, TX, we offer a beautiful Gladiola Flower Arrangement that encompasses the beauty of these underappreciated flowers.

In ancient Rome, during gladiator battles, the victor was buried under this flower by cheering crowds to celebrate the win. In recent times, the gladiola was discovered in South Africa in the 17th century and was originally used as food. Eventually, the flower was used as a medicine to draw splinters from the skin. The flower was also used to aid with colic when goat’s milk was added.

Later, the Dutch adapted the saying “all or nothing” from the Roman saying “death or the gladioli,” and the flower is seen as strength and victory. The flower is also the symbol for the Four Days March in the Netherlands, which is the largest multiple days marching to celebrate sports and exercise. Presenting someone with a gladiola signifies that person’s heroism and strength.

Gladiolas are beautiful flowers that have a rich history of signifying strength, heroism, and victory. These flowers are a great gift to give someone if you’ve experienced ‘love at first site’ or if someone is your hero or personal strength. At Enchanted Florist, we are a floral shop that does flower delivery and floral by design. We serve a long list of areas and have superb florists that will help you pick out the best arrangements for any occasion. Check out more of our flower arrangements for every occasion, or contact us if you want to create your own bouquet.