Iris Milesii

Sprays of remarkable, frilly, purple-speckled flowers, that have both mottling and deeper purple on the falls, with undulate edges and superb fringed, yellow style crests, open on tall, many-branched stems. This extremely beautiful Himalayan species is only very rarely found or offered in cultivation. It grows from fat rhizomes, and these do not resemble the other irises, such as I.tectorum and japonicum in the Evansia group to which it belongs, but these rhizomes grow and multiply well. It is easy on any sunny, freely drained soil, although it flowers best in cooler, peaty or leafy soils.