Michigan State University Extension
Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0 - 00000783
11/12/99

Iris germanica--Bearded Iris


Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10
Height: 36 in Spread: 18 in
Type: herbaceous perennial
Flowers: All colors (Vis. 1)

Comments: The numerous varieties of Bearded Iris will vary
from the height given. They grow best in fertile soil
exposed to full sun. Iris prefers not to be mulched as
the rhizomes benefit from warm soil. The rhizomes are
barely covered with soil. If planted too deeply they
produce leaves but no blooms and are more susceptible to
soft rot and iris borer. Fertilize each spring.

Propagation: Divide the clumps when they are crowded and
flowering poorly. The proper time is during July and
August. Save divisions from the outside of the clump and
cut the leaves back by two thirds when replanting.

Cultivars:
'Alaska Blue' - Blue flowers, 12 inches
'Anna Belle Babson' - Soft pink, ruffled flowers, 35
inches.
'Babbling Brook' - Blue flowers, 36 inches.
'Baby Blessed' - Light yellow with good fall rebloom, 10
inches.
'Banana Frappe' - Large, ruffled, yellow flowers, 38
inches tall.
'Banbury Ruffles' - A dwarf with blue flowers, 12
inches tall (Vis. 2).
'Bang' - Red flowers, 34 inches.
'Batik' - Purple flowers are marked with white in an
irregular pattern, 2 feet tall.
'Beaux Arts' - Pink flowers.
'Bee Wings' - Purple flowers, 10 inches.
'Beechfield' - A dwarf plant 12 inches tall that
produces bright yellow flowers.
'Before the Storm' - Very dark purple flowers, 37 inches
tall.
'Beverly Sills' - Coral pink flowers with good form on
plants 3 feet tall.
'Blenheim Royal' - Dark blue, ruffled flowers, 38
inches tall.
'Blue Echo' - Deep blue flowers are produced on plants
17 inches tall.
'Blue Shimmer' - Blue flowers, 34 inches.
'Blue Staccato' - Fluted and ruffled, blue plicata with
blue markings on white falls, plants 40 inches tall.
'Boogie Man' - Dark violet standards and nearly black
falls on plants 35 inches tall.
'Bountiful Harvest' - Falls and standards are white with
purple edges, 34 inches tall.
'Brass Tacks' - Yellow flowers, 10 inches.
'Brassie' - Blue flowers, 10 inches.
'Breakers' - Royal blue flowers, plants 37 inches tall.
'Bright White' - Miniature plants only 6 inches tall
produce white flowers.
'Brown Lasso' - Yellow standards and purple falls, the
falls edged with brown, 24 inches tall.
'Butterscotch' - Copper-colored flowers, 34 inches.
'Candy Apple' - Red flowers, 12 inches tall.
'Caption' - Pink standards and white falls edged in pink,
38 inches.
'Captured Spirit' - A dwarf with white flowers, 9
inches tall (Vis. 3).
'Celestial Flame' - White, ruffled flowers with orange
beards, 37 inches tall.
'Champagne Elegance' - White standard are combined with
falls in shades of apricot. Re-blooms in late
summer, 34 inches.
'Charisma' - Blue flowers, 38 inches.
'Cherry Garden' - Burgundy flowers are produced by
plants 16 inches tall.
'Chinquapin' - Copper-colored flowers, 34 inches.
'Codicil' - Light blue flowers with darker veins, 33
inches tall.
'Colette Thurillet' - Peach-pink standards and purple
falls, 33 inches tall.
'Congratulations' - Blue standards are flushed with
violet on the midribs, the falls are violet which is
pale near the edges, 35 inches.
'Cosmic Dance' - Blue flowers, 38 inches.
'Creative Stichery' - White flowers have blue edging on
standards and falls, 38 inches.
'Debby Rairdon' - Yellow standards and white falls, the
falls have yellow margins, 34 inches tall.
'Divine Light' - Creamy-yellow flowers have yellow
highlights, 36 inches.
'Dusky Challenger' - Large, ruffled, dark blue flowers
on 39-inch stems.
'Eagles Flight' - White flowers with purple margins on
the falls, plants 35 inches tall.
'Earl of Essex' - Flower are white with violet markings,
35 inches.
'Edith Wolford' - Yellow standards and violet falls, 40
inches.
'Eleanor's Pride' - Blue flowers, 34 inches.
'Elfin Queen' - Plants 15 inches tall produce white
flowers with a hint of yellow on the falls.
'Enchanted One' - Yellow standard, the falls are
lavender with violet veining, gold edges, and white
beards. Blooms again in late summer, 35 inches.
'Ermine Robe' - White flowers on 38-inch stems.
'Feminine Charm' - Pink flowers.
'Fleming Gold' - Yellow flowers, 14 inches.
'Frost and Flame' - White flowers, 34 inches.
'Funny Girl' - Dark pink flowers, 38 inches tall.
'Gambo Gal' - Orange flowers, 34 inches
'Glazed Orange' - Orange flowers.
'Go Around' - White flowers with bluish-purple edging,
plants 37 inches tall.
'Gold Country' - Gold flowers, 38 inches.
'Golden Garland' - Yellow flowers, 34 inches.
'Good Show' - Ruffled, orange flowers, 35 inches.
'Goodwill Messenger' - Yellow standards have cream
edges, the falls are creamy white with undersides
yellow, the plants 36 inches tall.
'Gypsy Eyes' - A ruffled, mulberry-colored plicata, 14
inches tall.
'Gypsy Romance' - Bright purple flowers, 37 inches
tall.
'Gypsy Woman' - The creamy white falls are edged with
pink. The standards soft lemon-yellow and the plants
35 inches tall.
'Harbour Blue' - Blue flowers, 34 inches.
'Henry Shaw' - White flowers.
'Hilltop View' - Ruffled, blue flowers, 38 inches.
'Imagette' - Pink flowers (Vis. 4), a dwarf 11 inches
tall.
'Immortality' - Pure white flowers with yellow beards,
re-blooms in late summer once its is established, 29
inches tall.
'Interpol' - Purplish-black blossoms, 37 inches.
'Invitation' - White standards are combined with
pinkish-apricot falls, may rebloom in the fall, 34
inches.
'Jennifer Rebecca' - Light pink flowers, usually reblooms
in late summer, 35 inches tall.
'Jewel Baby' - Dark purple flowers, reblooms in fall, 12
inches.
'Jesse's Song' - White flowers with purple borders, 36
inches tall.
'Joyce Terry' - Yellow flowers.
'Katy Petts' - Standards blue, falls darker, 12 inches
tall (Vis. 5).
'Knock 'Em Dead' - Yellow standards are edged with
white. Ruffled, lavender falls have a golden-brown
border, 36 inches.
'Laced Cotton' - Pale lavender flowers fade to pure
white, plants 36 inches tall.
'Lake Placid' - Light blue flowers, 40 inches tall.
'Lemon Brocade' - Pale yellow, ruffled flowers, 34
inches tall.
'Lemon Puff' - Ivory colored flowers are produced on
plants only 6 inches tall.
'Li'l Red Devil' - Dark red to maroon flowers, 11
inches tall (Vis. 6).
'Lilia Yellow' - One-foot tall plants produce clear
yellow flowers (Vis. 7).
'Live Music' - Shades of pink, 38 inches tall.
'Loop de Loop' - White with purple edges, 44 inches tall.
'Lurida' - Purple flowers are produced by plants about
a foot tall.
'Making Eyes' - Creamy white standards and purple falls,
12 inches.
'Manhattan Blues' - Medium blue flowers with darker spot,
10 inches.
'Memphis Blues' - Ruffled, white and blue flowers, 40
inches tall.
'New Moon' - Bright yellow, ruffled flowers, 36 inches
tall.
'Night Owl' - A very dark purple, large ruffled blooms,
38 inches.
'Oktoberfest' - Orange, ruffled flowers, 37 inches.
'Olympic Pink' - Ruffled, pink flowers, 36 inches.
'Pacific Panorama' - Blue flowers, 42 inches tall.
'Painted Pictures' - Purple falls are combined with
blue standards, plants 42 inches tall.
'Pastel Charme' - Violet flowers, 10 inches.
'Pink Horizon' - Pink flowers.
'Pink N' Mint' - Salmon-pink standards are combined
with pale green falls on plants 36 inches tall.
'Pink Swan' - Pink flowers.
'Presences' - Mauve-pink, ruffled flowers, 32 inches.
'Red At Night' - Dark red flowers, 38 inches.
'Ribbon' - Blue flowers, 10 inches.
'Ringo' - Slightly ruffled white standards are combined
with purple falls on plants 36 inches tall.
'Rising Moon' - Plants 36 inches tall produce yellow
flowers.
'Rite of Spring' - The flowers are a combination of
violet-blue and white, 39 inches tall.
'Rose' - Bright rose color with fluted standards and
coral colored beard, plants 38 inches tall.
'Rosette Wine' - Reddish-purple flowers flushed with
white on the falls, 37 inches tall.
'Royal Touch' - Purple flowers.
'Ruffled Ballet' - Plants 30 inches tall have ruffled
blossoms consisting of white standards and blue
falls.
'Sambo' - A dwarf plant about a foot tall that produces
purple flowers.
'Sapphire Hills' - Ruffled blue flowers are produced on
vigorous, 36-inch plants.
'Sea of Joy' - Blue flowers have white-tipped beards,
plants 38 inches tall.
'Ship Shape' - Blue flowers.
'Silverado' - Plants 38 inches tall produce white
flowers.
'Singing Angel' - Sky blue flowers with a dark spot
under the beard, plants 10 inches tall.
'Skating Party' - Very ruffled, white flowers on plants
34 inches tall.
'Snow Maiden' - White flowers on plants 20 inches.
tall.
'Spartan' - Red flowers.
'Sultans Palace' - Plants 34 inches tall produce red
flowers with a maroon cast.
'Sun Doll' - Ruffled, yellow flowers, 10 inches.
'Sunday Sunshine' - Large and ruffled flowers are
lemon-yellow with a white center on each fall, plants
34 inches tall.
'Supersimmon' - Bright orange flowers have a white
blaze at the tip of the beards, plants 35 inches
tall.
'Surfing Sea' - Medium blue standards and pale blue
falls on plants 13 inches tall.
'Swazi Princess' - Dark, nearly black flowers are
produced by plants 36 inches tall.
'Titan's Glory' - Dark violet flowers, 37 inches.
'Tomorrow May Rain' - Yellow standards, falls are white
and yellow, 34 inches tall.
'Tomorrow's Child' - The standards are pink and the
falls are purple, 36 inches tall.
'Too Sweet' - Deep pink flowers, 36 inches.
'Tracy Tyrene' - Lemon-yellow standards are combined
with bluish-purple falls. The beard is bright yellow
and the falls have a white stripe and rim. The
plants are 36 inches tall.
'Valimar' - Pink flowers, 34 inches.
'Van Gogh' - Saffron yellow flowers have a small white
area at the end of each beard, plants 36 inches tall.
'Vanity' - Light pink, fragrant flowers, 35 inches
tall.
'Vera Gay' - Purple and white flowers on plants 8
inches tall.
'Verona' - Deep blue flowers (Vis. 8) on plants 14 inches
tall.
'Watercolor' - Bright yellow standards are combined
with brown falls. The falls are edged in yellow.
The plant is a dwarf reaching a height of 12 inches.

References for Cultivars: Walters Gardens 1999, Weston
Nurseries 1999, Ray Wiegand's Nursery 1999, Bailey
Nurseries 1999, White Flower Farm 1997, Sheridan Nurseries
1999.


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