Plant guide
Gladiolus
Gladiolus spp.
Gladiolus is toxic to cats. Eating it can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhea and low energy. The highest toxin concentration is in the corms.
What this guide covers: Gladiolus species and garden forms; the name sword lily does not make this a true Lilium lily.
Photo:
Photo details
Gladiolus spp. — Flower
By Twdragon
License: CC BY 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
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Photo:
Photo details
Gladiolus spp. — Flower
By Twdragon
License: CC BY 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
Espresso gladiolus bulbs
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Keep away from cats. We do not recommend this plant for a home where cats could reach it.
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Look for Gladiolus spp. and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Gladiolus spp.
- Scope
- Genus-level group
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
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How to grow this plant
Gladiolus species and garden forms; the name sword lily does not make this a true Lilium lily.
- Light
- Sunny position
Full sun, with shelter from strong wind.
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist
Keep soil moist while plants grow.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
Winter hardiness varies by selection.
- Humidity
No specific humidity target established.
- Potting
- Rich, well-drained soil; avoid heavy clay.
- Through the year
- Tender corms may need lifting for winter; hardy selections can be mulched.
Growing-guide sources
- Gladiolus spp. ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
Gladiolus species and garden forms; the name sword lily does not make this a true Lilium lily.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-16. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Severity
- Severity not established
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Gladiolus: toxic and non-toxic plants ↗ASPCA · Accessed
Listed by the source as Gladiolus species. The safety source explicitly covers Gladiolus species. The toxic principle is unknown; do not invent a chemical or severity tier.
- Gladiolus spp. ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
- Gladiolus: source assessment ↗ASPCA · Accessed 2026-10-16
Safety last reviewed .