Plant

IRIS Sibirica

Tracer bullets of violet-blue shooting skywards

We recently rediscovered this slender Iris with a tracery of delicate patterns on the throats of its falls. It was the inspiration behind the blue theme of our Whitebeam Allee bed. We have around 15 varieties in the garden.

Pictured Iris Sibirica Silver Edge

Colours

Mainly violet blue; white and lilac

Height; spread

1 - 1.5m tall; 50 cm spread

Conditions

Moist soil but will cope in well-drained beds

Sun or shade

Sun and partial shade

Flowers

May to June

Propagation

By seed or division

Reasons to grow...

  • They race upwards like New York skyscrapers held high on stiff stalks above grass-like green foliage
  • Impressive in clumps they give a generous burst of colour
  • Delicate patterns on their falls reward close inspection
  • They come fairly reliably from seeds, can be divided and are pest-free
  • They don’t take up much space in the border
  1. Watch out for
    Occasionally a clump will get too shady, sulk and refuse to flower

Garden Rooms

Whitebeam Allee
The original inspiration for this bed with about ten varieties bursting through and beyond the catmint
The White Garden
Large drifts of Iris Sibirica White Swirl run through its main bed

Top Varieties

Silver Edge – flamboyant and somehow perfect 
White Swirl – large flowered and wonderful en masse
Dragonfly – beautifully marked falls
Teal Velvet (pictured) deeper purple
*Many of our varieties are crosses from seed, so are not named, but still beautiful.

Thanks to Aulden Farm in Herefordshire, which houses a National Collection of Iris Sibirica. They were kind enough to give us some of their seeds to try.