A large group consisting of hundreds of cultivars and varieties with flowering habits ranging from densely packed spikes to more open few-flowered forms. Flowers are open trumpet-shaped and showy and open from the bottom of spike upwards.

Gladiolus italicus comes from around the Mediterranean, where it is quite often found on cultivated land. It has a few tall, narrow leaves, and a spike of 5 to 15 flowers, usually a very bright deep purplish pink, occasionally paler pink.