Iris germanica So beau - Bearded Iris

Iris germanica 'So Beau' is a beautifully coloured and highly floriferous garden Iris with 7 to 8 flower buds per flower stalk. Its wavy flower, with a thick texture, displays a unique pattern and a lovely combination of colours including pale apricot, raspberry pink, and pastel pink. The overall effect is enhanced by thick beards in a beautiful shade of orange. The plant forms beautiful and highly blooming clumps in spring, in the midst of the iris season.

The 'So Beau' Iris is a perennial rhizomatous plant that develops in elegantly upright clumps from spring, with its foliage disappearing in winter. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over centuries, with a controversial origin that revolves around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It should be noted that Garden Irises have European origins. They are plants that thrive in chalky soils, requiring ample sunlight for their rhizomes to mature and bloom. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

'So Beau' will reach a height of 90 cm (35in) when in bloom. Its flower stalk is sturdy, although it can be sensitive to wind and rain when laden with flowers. The flower buds are located at the top of the stalk. The clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long and wide sword-shaped leaves, a slightly glaucous green colour and parallel veins. In April, floral stems appear, which will produce large, very wavy flowers in May, opening from the top towards the lower branches. The flowers consist of 3 upright petals in a soft apricot, 3 nearly horizontal raspberry sepals a wide pale pink border, adorned with large, velvety orange beards, 3 styles, and 3 stamens. As always with Garden Irises, the colour is magnified by the thick and iridescent texture of its flowers.

Obtained by Cayeux, 2021.

To accompany iris plants, choose companion plants based on their needs (exposure, soil type, etc.), their vegetation (low plants or plants with light foliage, non-competitive plants), and their decorative complementarity (appearance, flowering time). For example, Gauras provide little shade to the irises and keep the iris bed attractive after the flowers have faded during the summer. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist also tolerate dry soil in summer, just like irises. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also pair well with irises. Slopes, the base of small trees with light foliage, and terraced edges can be stabilized by dense plantings of old varieties that require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for maintenance is possible, one can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely to be literally flattened by wind and rain than tall varieties.

The vegetable garden can be embellished with a few clumps or borders of irises, grown for cut flowers.