Iris Young Blood - Tall Bearded Iris

Iris 'Young Blood' is an ancient but far from outdated garden iris. Its intermediate size makes it an ideal candidate in sunny borders, in windy areas. Its beautiful, classic flowers are adorned with velvety petals, burgundy red with brown reflections, embellished with yellow-orange beards. This variety, which is now difficult to find, will delight enthusiasts of warm-toned flowers that explode under radiant sunshine. 

Iris 'Young Blood' is a deciduous perennial plant, with an upright tufted habit from spring onwards. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars of Garden Iris, a species originally from Europe. 'Young Blood' is classified as an intermediate iris and will reach a height of 55 cm (22in) in flower, with numerous buds, a guarantee of a long flowering period. The clump will spread without a theoretical limit over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer rhizomes. The plant has an elegant upright habit with long sword-shaped, glaucous green leaves. Its flowering is a little earlier than that of the tall irises. Floral stems appear in April and bloom from the top towards the base. The sold colour is magnified by the silky texture of the petals and sepals. Note that the flowers are fragrant.

Obtained by Ben Hager in 1994.

To accompany irises, Gaura will cast little shade and keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout the summer. Eschscholzia will be content with dry and poor soil, just like the iris. Geraniums, salvias, and Libertia will create a beautiful combination. Iris enthusiasts even go as far as creating large flowerbeds, arranging shapes, colours, and fragrances, with flowering staggered throughout the spring. The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few borders of irises for cut flowers.