Iris x hollandica Miss Saigon

The Iris (x) hollandica 'Miss Saigon' is a Dutch iris with slightly exotic flowers, brightly coloured in mauve, lavender blue, and bright yellow.  This bulbous iris blooms more or less early in spring depending on the climate, for 2 to 3 weeks. The stylized flowers of Dutch Iris stand out for their elegance in the garden, as well as in bouquets. Resistant to cold and dry summers, they are easy to grow in full sun, in fertile and well-drained soil.

Dutch Iris, or bulbous iris, have an underground storage organ in the form of a bulb, unlike their famous cousins, the German iris or garden iris. Belonging to the same botanical family as the German iris, the iridaceae family, they also differ in the absence of "beards", those pretty little fluffy and colorful tongues found on the drooping sepals of German iris. The first Dutch iris (x) never grew wild on Dutch soil, but are the result of cross-breeding between two main botanical species; Iris filifolia, sometimes confused with Iris xyphium which resembles it, both originating from Spain and North Africa, and Iris tingitana, from Tangier and northern Morocco. The genealogy of Dutch hybrids is sometimes confusing, but the result is always remarkable. Their flowers, a bit underused in the garden, are highly appreciated in floristry. 

The cultivar Miss Saigon gradually forms a tall and very narrow clump of 50 cm (20in) when in bloom. This perennial usually blooms in May-June (from April in the South), for 2 to 3 weeks, on sturdy stems facing the wind. Its solitary or paired flowers on the stems, 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) in diameter, are relatively thin compared to those of the German iris, but undeniably elegant. Each flower consists of 3 upright, slender, translucent petals of small size. Beneath this trio are 3 almost horizontal petals, closely linked to the dentate petaloid styles on the edges, arranged in a staggered pattern. Wider, they are spatulate, with darker veins, occupied by a large golden yellow spot. Each flower can live for 5 to 7 days, even in a vase. The bulb is round, 2 to 3 cm (1in) wide, covered with a fibrous tunic of a rosy beige colour. It produces a few linear, thin and leathery leaves, resembling those of a grass, slightly glaucous green, often lightly striated and folded in half towards the ground. They often appear in autumn, persist more or less depending on the severity of the winter, and dry up in summer, during the dormant period.

Less known and less used by gardeners than German iris, Dutch iris are nevertheless easy to grow in fertile and light soil, with undeniable elegance and indifferent to wild grasses that struggle to infiltrate their very vertical clumps. Plant them in groups of 10 to 20 bulbs of the same variety; they will return year after year to offer you more and more refined and cheerful flowers, which go well with the spring flowering shrubs. They also look stunning when planted among perennials such as peonies and daylilies, which will conceal their absence in summer when they are dormant. Their Mediterranean origins make them highly adaptable to summer drought. Finally, pick their flowers to make bouquets with roses, arums, or even late tulips. All irises need a sunny exposure to bloom well. Give them at least half a day of full sun.