They're Gladiolus.

Kevin

Yes, glads, or as my mom used to call them: funeral flowers. She always refused to grow them!

Thanks! Kinda weird that out of all the various perennials I've seen in my life, these were unknown to me. Always heard of gladioli of course, but just never knew that's what these were.

Interesting that they've been growing at least 15 years against the side of my house in central Ohio -- because I've now gotten the impression from some searching that most people in this part of the country dig them up for the winter...and we've definitely had some sub-zero spells here over the last 15 years.

Guess these are just tough.

I haven't grown these in years, but one year I did and forgot to dig them or just didn't dig them. The next spring, they were back. Needless to say, living in MN, I was surprised as heck.

Kevin

I grew these for the first time last year, since my perennials needed some time to fill in. I dug them up, as recommended, and did not replant them. Despite that, I have little sprouts from what are obviously bulblets that grew off the sides of the more mature bulbs. No blooms this year, of course, but I'll be interested to see what happens next year.

Martha

Some plants that are out of their zone grown next to a foundation that has a basement behind it often will survive much lower temps than they would if you move them away from the house. If you have snow cover that can help, especially if the snow falls before the ground is frozen. One year I had broccoli still alive the next year after the three feet of snow that fell before Christmas finally melted in the spring. The grass was all green, it was really weird. I don't think the ground froze at all that year.

I live in Columbus and these came with my house as well. We've lived here 7 years and they come back every year. I've definitely never dug them up for the winter, I didn't know what they were until a couple years ago. :)

Another zone 5-er with over wintering glads. I just cut some and made a bouquet to enjoy inside. Mine are also pink although I have some light purple overwinter as well. They are in the middle of the yard, not protected against the house at all.

Most if them I still dig and store in the basement over the winter. I'd like to decide on a permanent spot for them though and stop digging.

Here's a zone 6er with Glads that have over wintered for the 7 years we've lived here and they were here when we moved in. Mine are also white with pink edges.

Linda

Too funny, MulchMama. My mom called them funeral flowers too! I can't bring myself to grow them because of that memory.

Jerseygirl -- too too funny! GMTA, I guess. When we moved to this house in 2007, the original owners had "landscaped" the foundation in an 18" strip (argh!) with gladioli. I had just gotten my landscape design cert back in Chicago and was like WHAT??? That's a foundation planting? Glads??? Oh yeah, there was also a dwarf Alberta spruce that had been eaten by spider mites.

I yanked them all before we prepped large foundation beds (15 feet out) and every year a few come back. I've pulled them, I've sprayed them with glyphosate, they still come back to haunt me.