Gladiolus dalenii
Common names: African gladiolus (Eng.); papegaai-gladiolus (Afr.); khahla-e-kholo (South Sotho)
Family: Iridaceae
Take a walk along the high tide path to Kingfisher Creek to see these stunning beauties, flowering in May, even though their normal flowering time is October – January. The flowers are crimson red with yellow lower petals. Gladiolus Dalenii always have several flowers in a spike, all facing to one side – in this instance, the flowers are all facing towards the estuary. The leaves are sword-shaped, in a loose fan. Height between 70 – 100 cm.
Not indigenous to the Garden Route but naturally found from the Eastern Cape through to West Africa.
What a delight to see the cluster of them on the left as you approach the entrance to Kingfisher Creek.