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Your Guide to Iris

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Types of Iris

There are many types of irises. The most common in the US are bearded iris, which are categorized by size. 

Tall Bearded (abbreviated TB) - over 27.5 inches tall, mid to late spring bloom

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Border Bearded (BB) - 16 to 27.5 inches tall, bloom with the TBs in mid to late spring

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Miniature Tall Bearded (MTB) - 16 to 27.5 inches tall, smaller flowers and slim stems, mid to late spring bloom with the TBs

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Intermediate Bearded (IB) - 16 to 27.5 inches tall, early to mid spring bloom

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Standard Dwarf Bearded (SDB) - 8 to 16 inches tall, early spring bloom

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Miniature Dwarf Bearded (MDB) - up to 8 inches tall, the first of the bearded irises to bloom in very early spring

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Arilbred and Aril-Median - these are a cross between Aril and Bearded irises, ranging from 3 to over 30 inches tall. These tend to bloom with the bearded iris of the same size.

Iris Anatomy

Irises are unique flowers. Familiarity with the anatomy of an iris is key to being able to describe the different varieties. Many of these parts of anatomy are unique to bearded iris. We have ordered these terms from approximately bottom to top of an iris plant.

  • Rhizome: fleshy brown horizontal tuber-like underground stem, from which the roots and leaves grow

  • Increase: new plants emerging from the side of the rhizome

  • PBF: purple based foliage

  • Fan: a set of leaves, fan-like in shape

  • Variegated: foliage is that patchy green and white colored instead of the typical solid green

  • Stalk (Stem): stiff stem from which the flowers grow, may have branches with additional flowers

  • Branch: a branch off the main flower stalk

  • Spathe: modified leaves that cover the emerging buds, becoming brown and papery

  • Form: the balance and proportions of the flower

  • Lace: serrations on the outer edges of the petals

  • Ruffles: fluted or wavy petal edges

  • Falls: the three lower petals of the iris flower, down-turned or horizontally flared

  • ​Shoulders: the areas on the arched middle part of the falls, outward from the hafts

  • Hafts: upper part of the falls, on each side of the beard

  • Beard: fuzzy raised projections in the upper center of the falls

  • Signal: a patch of contrasting color surrounding the beard, emanating from the throat

  • Space Age: varieties of irises that have flounces, spoons, or horns

  • Flounces: petal-like appendages that emerge from the end of the beard in some varieties

  • Horns: a pointed appendage extending from the end of the beard, often pointed upward

  • Spoons: spoon-shaped appendages extending from the end of the beard

  • Standards: three upturned petals that surround the three style arms

  • Midrib: stiffened central rib on each standard

  • Style Arm: three small stiff crested structures above the beards, interior to the standards

  • Substance: the strength and thickness of the petals

  • Texture: the finish or sheen of the petals

Iris Patterns

Irises come in a verity of patterns. Different patterns give different varieties of iris a distinct look, even if they have similar colors. 

  • Amoena: white or near-white standards, and colored falls

  • Bicolor: standards and falls are two different colors

  • Bitone: the standards are a lighter tint of the color (hue) of the falls

  • Blend: combination of two or more colors blended together, whether smoothly or unevenly

  • Broken: random pattern or splotchy or streaked colors

  • Glaciata: irises lacking the purple anthocyanin pigment; bright glowing white, yellow, pink, or orange

  • Ground Color: base color of a petal, usually in reference to plicata, under the dots or peppering

  • Lines/Lined: veins that are a contrasting color or darker than the ground color of the petal

  • Luminata: white or yellow base color washed over with a darker color, style arms and hafts white or yellow, pale veining, usually pale edges on petals, appears to glow from within

  • Neglecta: light blue or purple standards; falls of the same color (hue) but a darker shade

  • Peppering: dotted or stippled markings contrasting with a lighter ground color, as in plicatas

  • Plicata (Plic): stippled, dotted, peppered, or stitched markings contrasting with a lighter ground color

  • Reverse Amoena: colored standards, and white or near-white falls

  • Reverse Bitone: standards are a darker shade of the same color (hue) of the falls

  • Rim: a thin edge of color around the petals

  • Self: an iris with all petals of one solid color

  • Signal: a patch of contrasting color at the end of the beard, such as with arilbred irises

  • Spot: a contrasting color area on the falls, which may cover most of the falls

  • Stippled: dotted, peppered, or dashed

  • Variegata: yellow or near-yellow standards, with darker falls (usually red or purple or brown)

  • Veined: lines that are a contrasting color or darker than the ground color of the petal

  • Wire Edge: an extremely thin edge of colors around the petals

  • Zonal: white or light colored area around the beards in the middle of the falls

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