Quick Characteristics:
| Flower Colors: | blue, white, purple |
| Climate: | winter rain climate |
Gladiolus mutabilis is an Eastern Cape species and also occurs in the eastern part of the Western Cape. Plants grow in sandstone derived soils. This species has slightly fleshy leaf blades without thickened margins or midribs and an elongated corm that is two to three times as long as wide. Flower color ranges from pale to dark blue, mauve, brown or cream. The lower tepals are usually cream or yellow below with dark blue or brown dots and streaks on the yellow background forming the nectar guide. The fragrant flowers appear early in the season, June or July. The first photo was taken by Rachel Saunders who discovered this plant late July 2012 blooming in an area that had previously burned in the Western Cape. The next two photos were taken by Cameron McMaster August 2012 at the top of Potjiesberg Pass south of Uniondale (Eastern Cape) where it was growing with Gladiolus patersoniae. In the Western Cape population Gladiolus patersoniae was also in flower raising the question of whether they are both pollinated by the same pollinator. The last photo from the book Plants of the Klein Karoo courtesy of Jan and Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok.
