Beauty Beholds the Bearded Iris

Although there are many different species of irises, the bearded iris is one of the most popular perennial flowers. Not only a popular garden plant, but also often seen in artwork and logos.

There are hundreds of varieties of bearded irises available on the market today, including a range of sizes from tall to dwarf. Almost all of the varieties available, are hardy to Zones 3 and 4, with a good percentage hardy down to Zone 2, so you should have no problems growing them in the District. A rainbow of colours and colour mixtures are available, with new varieties becoming available each year. The colours range from pure white to black with every popular flower colour and shades in between. A very showy flower with only six petals is the bearded irises claim to fame. Three of the large petals fall downwards on the flower and these petals are called ‘falls’ the other three erect petals are called ‘standards’. The centre of the ‘falls’ petals will have a fuzzy, yellow or white area identified as the ‘beard’. Some of the most popular varieties have ‘standards’ in one colour and ‘falls’ in either a contrasting colour or another colour shade.

Bearded irises are sun-loving perennials and their rhizomes are also sun-loving, hence the reason for planting them so they are partially exposed on the soil.

Gardening Guru Tip: if you want success with the bearded iris, always make sure the top half of the rhizome is above the spoil and receiving sun for at least part of the day. This is a common mistake most gardeners make, especially, often when you buy it from the nursery, the rhizome is buried completely in the soil of the pot. But remember the grower needs it to stay in the pot until you purchase it so it is buried as a temporary measure for stability.

Bearded irises can tolerate the intense sun of a southern exposure garden but will also thrive in an east or west-facing garden. They thrive in moist to dry soils and cannot tolerate wet conditions very well and will rot very quickly if planted in soil that holds moisture for prolonged periods.

Beautiful vibrant Bearded Iris in Springtime Garden

Bearded irises are a rhizome derived plant. The rhizome is the cylindrical shaped (bulb-like) underground stem that produces leaves on the topside and roots on the underside. The rhizome is where the food source and nutrients for the plant are developed and stored, but also provides the plant with stability in the ground. The rhizome is planted with roots facing down but sitting three-quarters on top of the soil. When planting I always dig a hole deep enough to accommodate the length of the roots. I suspend the rhizome over the hole, at the soil surface level, with one hand, letting the full length of the roots dangle into the hole. With other hand I add soil to the hole being careful not to compact the roots. Once the hole is full, I firm up the rhizome by adding some soil around the edges of the rhizome and making sure to keep three quarters of the rhizome exposed on top of the soil. Once the roots are established the plant becomes very firm and stable in the ground.

Gardening Guru Tip: For the best show of flowers plant the rhizome with flat side of the leaves facing the direction in which you will want to view the flowers.

Considered a low maintenance perennial the annual care is fairly straightforward. Apply the appropriate fertilizer, spring, summer and fall, trim away spent flowers immediately to promote longer bloom times and to allow the rhizome to regenerate its food stores faster, but only trim away leaves after they have turned completely brown. Typically, bearded irises need to be divided and separated about every 3-4 years.

Bearded irises are one of the earliest flowering perennials, starting in early to mid-May and extending into late June depending on the variety that you choose. Typically, the dwarf varieties bloom first, with the tall varieties blooming in the latter part of June. Offering a spectacular show in the garden or as a fantastic cut flower and easy to grow with low maintenance, the bearded iris may soon become your favourite perennial too.