Tall Bearded Iris is a rhizomatous perennial that brings stately elegance to gardens across zones 3-9, growing 24-36 inches tall with flowers that spread wider than 5 inches. Each stem produces two or more branches bearing 7 or more fragrant blossoms, each with distinctive upright standards and pendant falls adorned with a bushy, contrasting beard at the fall's center. These irises bloom in May through June and thrive in full sun with moderate water, once established they handle drought well and resist deer browsing. The flowers are excellent for cutting, making them as valuable in a vase as they are in the garden.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-9
36in H x 24in W
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Moderate
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Each flower displays a striking architectural contrast between upright standards and gracefully pendant falls, with a prominent bushy beard that gives this iris group its distinctive character. The blooms arrive fragrant and abundant, producing 7 or more flowers per stem across multiple branching points, and they'll stand up to cutting without losing their garden presence. Plant it where you can enjoy it up close; the intricate bearded structure and rich fragrance reward closer inspection, and once established, it asks little beyond good drainage and full sun.
Tall Bearded Iris thrives as a cut flower, its sturdy stems and abundant blooms making it reliable for both fresh arrangements and garden display. Its height, branching structure, and extended bloom period also make it excellent for back-of-border placement in perennial gardens where it can anchor the landscape with color and structure.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant rhizomes shallowly in mid to late summer, positioning them so the top of the rhizome is barely covered or even slightly exposed to sun.
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