Deno’s Garden

Gladiolus murielae

Abyssinian Gladiolus · Acidanthera · Peacock Gladiolus

Family IridaceaeGenus Gladiolus

Also published as Acidanthera bicolor. You are in the right place.

A white six-pointed flower with a deep maroon centre
FlowerPeter Forster from Centobuchi, ItalyCC BY-SA 2.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Native range
Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Source: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 18, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: either

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 77 days to germinate.

60% germination in 14–77 days.

Light and GA-3 made no difference to the rate. Germination is hypogeal.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Acidanthera p. 86Public domain
Show the original text
Acidanthera (Iridaceae). A. bicolor germ. 70 (60% in 2-11 w), 40-70(10%)- 40-70(30%), and 45% in May in outdoor treatment starting March 1. Light and GA-3 had no effect on the rate of germination. Germination was hypogeal.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Acidanthera p. 86. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

45% germination.

Sown outdoors on March 1; germination came in May.

This source doesn't state how long.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Acidanthera p. 86Public domain
Show the original text
A. bicolor germ. 70 (60% in 2-11 w), 40-70(10%)- 40-70(30%), and 45% in May in outdoor treatment starting March 1.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Acidanthera p. 86. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 21, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on March 20, 2026.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    10% germinated here.

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  4. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

about 12 months from start to sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

30% germination.

Starting at 40 spreads germination over four cycles: 10% in the first cycle at 70, then 30% in the second.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Acidanthera p. 86Public domain
Show the original text
Acidanthera (Iridaceae). A. bicolor germ. 70 (60% in 2-11 w), 40-70(10%)- 40-70(30%), and 45% in May in outdoor treatment starting March 1. Starting the seeds at 40 caused the germination to extend over four cycles.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Acidanthera p. 86. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.