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Dark Blue Bearded Iris is a hybrid perennial that brings jewel-toned elegance to spring gardens across zones 3 through 10. Standing 30 to 36 inches tall, this Iris germanica variety displays rich blue-purple blooms in early to mid-spring, offering gardeners a reliable, long-lived performer that thrives in full sun. Hardy, deer resistant, and attractive to pollinators, it blooms approximately 365 days after planting when fall-planted for spring flowering, making it a cornerstone plant for beds and borders.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
36in H x ?in W
—
High
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These deep blue-purple flowers emerge reliably in early spring and return year after year without fussy maintenance. The upright growth habit creates architectural interest in the garden even before blooms appear, and the deer resistance means your investment is genuinely safe from browsing. Pollinators gravitate toward these blooms, bringing beneficial activity to your garden, and the plants thrive across an unusually wide hardiness range, from cold zone 3 gardens to warm zone 10 landscapes.
Dark Blue Bearded Iris excels as a cut flower for spring arrangements, bringing its jewel-toned spikes indoors for weeks of enjoyment. In the landscape, it anchors perennial beds and borders, often positioned in drifts to create impact, and works beautifully along driveways or as a focal point in sun-soaked garden corners. Its upright habit and reliable spring bloom make it a dependable choice for gardeners seeking structure and color at a time when the garden is just waking up.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant iris rhizomes in fall (August through October) for spring blooming, or in early spring where summers are hot. Position rhizomes so the top is just visible above the soil surface; planting too deeply invites rot. Space plants 24 inches apart to allow for eventual spread. Water gently after planting but avoid keeping soil consistently wet.
Cut blooms for arrangements when the first flower on the spike has fully opened and others are still in bud; this extends the vase life considerably. Harvest in early morning when stems are fully hydrated. Stems will continue to open progressively indoors over several days, providing lasting garden color.
Remove spent flower spikes promptly after blooming concludes to maintain a tidy appearance and redirect energy toward rhizome development. Cut back dried foliage in late fall or early spring before new growth emerges. Avoid cutting green foliage before it naturally declines, as the leaves fuel the rhizomes for next season's performance.
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“Iris germanica, the bearded iris group, has been cultivated for centuries, prized across European and Mediterranean gardens for their architectural form and sophisticated color. The 'Dark Blue' selection represents the modern hybrid iris breeding that intensified through the 20th century, where growers selected specifically for deeper blue tones and garden performance. This particular cultivar carries that long tradition of iris improvement forward, delivering the classic beauty of the species with refined garden reliability.”