Iris Black Beauty -MASTER-

Iris Black Beauty has lovely purple shades on the standards or inner petals and the exterior petals, commonly called falls or sepals, have varied colours of a pale peach background that is heavily veined with purples and a golden yellow throat. Accompanied by grey-green foliage that is strap-like and grows vertically.

Perfect to end the spring and start the summer flowering season, Iris Black Beauty is a dark and mysterious flower that catches the eye when planted in groups or companion plant for exciting contrasts of colour. Great for planting in beds or borders for some great complexity of colour in the flower garden and long stems make them ideal to use as a cut flower for bouquets and arrangements.

Two of the most popular and well-known Iris varieties are composed of dwarf varietals (Iris Dwarf) and Dutch Irises (Iris hollandica). Dwarf Irises begin the season of flowering Iris in February and March and the Dutch Iris varieties bloom towards the beginning of summer around June. Iris are favoured ornamental flowering plants that present a rainbow of colours and distinct differences in their bloom structure.

Dwarf Irises are inclined to naturalise areas and are clump-forming. Dutch Iris are often thought of flowering blooms used with the intention of cut flowers and have more grass-like foliage. Dwarf and Dutch Irises species grow from a bulb and while similar to a bulb, other varieties of Iris are grown from a rhizome.

Iris bulbs are mostly planted in the autumn for wonderful hues of coloured Spring splendour. Dwarf and Dutch Irises prefer fertile, well-drained soils that are located in full sun to partial shade. Most Dwarf and Dutch species should be planted at average depths of 10cm.

Irish tend to prefer soils that are neutral with some individual variation depending upon the specific species. Allow foliage to die back down naturally after the bloom has been cut or fades away, this is an essential component of the cycle of energy storage and ensures that bulbs will be able to produce blooms again for the following season.