Iris reticulata Clairette

The Iris reticulata 'Clairette' is a charming variety of reticulated iris, with bright and fresh sky blue flowers speckled with royal blue, enhanced by gold and white spots. A real gem for rock gardens, this bulbous iris is also precious for ornamenting dry soils. It blooms from the end of winter, at the same time as snowdrops and Crocus chrysanthus. In humid climates, it will be more long-lasting when grown in a pot, which will also allow for a closer look at its beautiful flowering.

The Iris reticulata 'Clairette' and all reticulated irises are bulbous plants of the iridaceae family that grow spontaneously in alpine meadows and rocky habitats in the Caucasus (on limestone and gneiss soils), between 1,000 and 2,500 meters (3 and 8 feet) of altitude. Forming a small erect and spreading tuft of 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6in) in flower, this perennial extends without theoretical limit through the production of bulblets. This cultivar blooms at the end of winter, when the days start to lengthen, usually in February-March. Its solitary flowers, with a diameter of 6-8 cm (2-3in), are relatively large compared to the size of the plant. They are composed of 3 female floral parts, called styles, transformed into very narrow and spatulate petals, erect. Their colour is light blue washed with bright blue. Underneath this trio of petal-like styles, 3 horizontal sepals are arranged in a staggered manner. Wider, they are bulging, speckled with white towards the outer edge and royal blue at their tip, and illuminated by a beautiful golden yellow spot towards the heart of the flower. The foliage, short during flowering, elongates afterwards. The basal leaves are glaucous green, with a quadrangular section, sheathing at the base. They are deciduous and disappear in summer, while the bulb enters a dormant state.

The reticulated iris 'Clairette' is perfect in rock gardens, borders, raised beds, or to decorate ephemeral flowering pots, to be brought indoors to enjoy its delicate fragrance up close. It pairs well with iris pumila, botanical crocuses, anemones blanda, or Algerian iris. Let the bulbs naturalize in well-drained soil, and after a few years, they will form beautiful clumps that herald the return of spring. This plant experiences cold and snowy winters in its native range, but also hot and dry summers. Therefore, it can easily be adopted in mountainous and rocky gardens, or in a dry garden.