Flowers have the unique ability to bring up emotions and memories. Whether remembering the beautiful corsage from your senior prom, the single rose from your first date, or the meaningful flowers sent as you mourned a loved one – flowers evoke feelings based upon our experiences. But flowers also have inherent meanings that help us to send just the right floral arrangement to express the sentiment of the day. The birth month flower of August is gladiolus – so what better time to send this beautiful flower to those celebrating?

The gladiolus gets its name from the Latin gladius, which means sword; and references the blade-like shape of the leaves. Perhaps because of the gladiator connection, the gladiola flower represents strength of character, integrity, strong ethics and values. What a great way to tell someone close to you how you admire them! The gladiolus is also closely associated with remembrance of loved ones, making gladiolus blooms the traditional floral expression of sympathy and tribute.

There are approximately 260 species of the gladiola. These tall, stalk-like blooms, also called the sword lily, grow from two to five feet tall, and make dramatic additions to floral arrangements. Their trumpet shaped flowers have petals that are often ruffled or frilled; and come in a multitude of hues, from red to pink, white, yellow and purple. With three locations in the Louisville Kentucky area, Nanz and Kraft Florists can help you choose the perfect flowers to express those sentiments that will make your gift memorable for years to come. Come in to speak to our experts about those people you wish to honor – and remember, if someone you love is celebrating their birthday in August, the gladiolus flower is the bloom of choice!