Iris was the renowned goddess of the rainbow in ancient Greece, so it makes sense that there are 200 species of colourful irises. They bloom in pink, purple, blue, yellow, orange, and white.
Each year they come back spectularly retaining their former glory. Their leaves create solid thin green swords adding architectural interest all summer long. They come in various heights from the sweet tiny blue Cantab Dwarf Dutch Iris (0.25 to 0.5 feet) to the tallest Spuria Iris which is yellow and 5 foot tall.
All irises have three upright petals and three graceful drooping petals. Some irises even have “beards” upon their three falling petals! Some do bloom again later in the season.
If you have a group of irises that has become too large and dense dig them up in the fall and divide them with a sharp shovel into manageable attractive clumps. Do not plant them too close to their neighbours as they need air circulation around them to grow to their finest capacity.
They enjoy being planted in sun or partial sun without mulch in order to thrive. Unfortunately mulch creates rot in their rhizomes. Check the tag when purchasing your new spring iris at your local garden centre to make sure you are buying the right iris for the correct area in your garden.
If you are lucky enough to have a surplus of irises remember that they make excellent cut flowers!
Fun Fact: The iris or the “fleur-de-lis” is a common symbol in French royalty on coats of arms as well as the Quebec flag.
Image credit bark
