Bearded Iris Flower

The Iris flower appears in almost all the colors of the rainbow, and it is almost as showy and as flamboyant as the beautiful rainbow. No wonder then that the Iris got its name from Latin, where it means 'rainbow'. One very interesting feature of the iris plant is that some of them have beards. These beards or 'fuzz' are actually a very clever trick of the plant. The upper surface of the falls of the flower has thin bushels of hair or bristles. The plant has devised this as a clever way to attract and help pollinators achieve a good grip when they are climbing into the flower in search of nectar. These flowers are called bearded iris.

Bearded Iris flowers are easy to grow and are fun to share with friends and family. They make very beautiful cut flowers and come in different colors and heights. Bearded Iris flowers are almost like orchids, in that the stem bears 9-12 buds at one time. Each blossom last between 3-5 days. The bearded iris flower consists of 3 standard petals, which stand upright. The falls are actually the 3 sepals that hang downwards. This is where the fuzz appears. These plants vary so much in height that they have been classified into miniature dwarf, dwarf, intermediate, miniature tall, border and tall. Their height ranges between 8 to 38 inches. The smaller bearded iris flower first, followed by the medium and then the tallest.

Bearded iris flowers come in virtually every hue - sky blue to ocean blues, luxurious lavenders, flamboyant purples, vivid coppers, radiant reds, yellows, and soft to rosy pinks. These flowers also appear in innumerable intricacies of color combinations, multiheaded beauties, contrasting beards and other unique color patterns. All bearded iris spring from rhizomes, their roots spread horizontally at the soil's surface. The gray-green leaves are long and flat and pointed. They overlap each other almost like a Japanese fan.

The bearded iris flower plant blooms once a year although some of the recent hybrid varieties do bloom a second time. These plants are popular because of their high adaptability. They are easy to grow throughout most of North America. Humid subtropics are the only area where these do not catch on well. A soil pH that is almost neutral is best for the growth of this plant. If the soil is deeply cultivated, the blossoms are rich and show superior growth.

This year the pink variety of the bearded iris flower is the most popular. But the blues and dark purples are popular all through the year and are also cold-hardy, vigorous and disease resistant. Light colored bearded iris flowers - the pinks, peaches, yellows and oranges - are not as tough as the dark varieties. The beat time to plant the bearded Iris is between July and September. This will allow the plant to become well established before winter sets in.

Bearded iris flowers need lots of water just before the plants starts blooming. One of the common problems facing the bearded iris is poor flowering. This is mostly because the plant is being kept in the shade. Bearded Irises generally start blooming in late April. The splashy tall bearded iris flowers generally dominate many flower shows. The tall varieties bloom twice a year, and some of the hybrids blooms even a third time. Bearded iris flowers need a lot of air circulation. Other plants should not crowd them in. The bearded Iris is indeed a treat for the eyes and is widely popular not only because they are easy to grow but also because they are such beautiful flowers.

white iris flower

Bearded iris flower