Distinguished by its lemon-yellow flowers with reddish-brown veins and markings on the falls, Iris forrestii, a member of the normally blue Chrysographes subseries, makes a superb companion with the black form of Iris chrysographes. A rarely offered clumping species from China, Yunnan, Sichuan & Burma, it grows in moist sites flowering in early summer, and is easy and non invasive in the border. ... Learn More

Plum-scented, reddish-purple flowers with white falls strongly veined with violet, open in June and July. This beardless dwarf spuria iris is native from Spain to Russia and throughout the Caucasus. The name 'Graminea' means 'grass', referring to the grass-like clump of leaves. Few seeds collected. ... Learn More

Rather resembling a dwarf Iris setosa, this lovely iris has large, reflexed, blue-purple flowers, white-blotched at the centre, and all attractively pencilled in deeper purple, with small standards. It does best with ample moisture, but must have adequate sun to flower well. These plants are native to the coastal states of north-east USA and Canada, where they grow in damp places. ... Learn More

This rare and gorgeous plant is the only yellow species amongst the spuria irises, blooming in early summer with large, narrow, reflexed-petalled, lemon-yellow flowers with narrow leaves. It needs neutral to slightly acidic, gritty, well drained soil with plenty of free-flowing water in Spring, and is native to N E Turkey, where it grows in open pine forests at altitude. ... Learn More

The State Wildflower of Michigan is an attractive miniature iris with showy, deep blue flowers, which open from mid May to early June and are borne singly on short stems which are sometimes no more than two or three inches tall, and are becoming increasingly uncommon in the wild. In the wild Iris lacustris is usually found growing in slightly acidic, moist, sandy, or rocky soils, in sun-dappled, forested openings, often near the lake shore. ... Learn More

These flowers are usually a rich purple, each fall with a narrow white flash at the base, but they can also be blue, purple or violet and generally have unique colour patterns, often being completely white with attractive markings. They are usually grown in shallow waters and seem to prefer marshy or wet soil, although they also do perfectly well in ordinary soil as long as it does not dry completely out ... Learn More

This superb form of Iris laevigata which was selected here and comes pleasingly true from seed, has gorgeous, sumptuous white flowers, heavily painted in deepest navy blue. It is fine in the ordinary garden but outstanding in damp or wet soil. ... Learn More

Very rarely offered from seed, this semi-dwarf iris from the Pyrenees displays deep blue, six-petalled flowers, with yellow marks in the centre of the lower petals, on short stems from May until July. Also known as The English Iris, Iris latifolia, Iris xiphiodes and Iris anglica, it is a common and attractive iris of the Pyrenees and Northwestern Spain. The leaves are stiff and sword-shaped and are approximately 60 cm long. In the wild, leaves begin growth in early spring, before the snow has entirely melted. ... Learn More

This rare and vigorous beauty, both in flower and foliage, that with care can do well in the open garden, opens its palest lilac, almost white flowers, the falls near-white with a yellow centre line, in the early spring. This Juno iris, native to the mountains of Central Asia, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. ... Learn More

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. ... Learn More

This beardless iris has narrow leaves with deep blue flowers on branched stems and larger hanging falls with a central yellow splash and outstanding deep purple veining. Native in western N America, this lovely plant has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. ... Learn More

The "Yellow Flag" is one of our worthwhile-to-grow native wild irises. Large bright yellow flowers flare open in spring amidst stiff green leaves. Supposedly a bog plant, but it also thrives on our dust-dry hillside! ... Learn More

A fantastically attractive variegated leaf form of the Yellow Flag Iris, giving a really impressive foliage display, with the same well known large yellow flowers. Just as easy to grow and best suited for a wet border or pond edge, although it will do perfectly well in ordinary garden soil but will not grow as large as in wet soil!. ... Learn More

This unusually large-flowered Japanese iris has clumps of grey-green foliage making a splendid foil to the impressive blooms. It flowers early, sometimes in late winter and often continuing into early summer. ... Learn More

This lovely plant, bearing delicate blue and white flowers, was originally collected from damp meadows around Korsakov on our Sakhalin (Russia) expedition (RBS0233). It will, however, do perfectly well in dry conditions. ... Learn More