Iris reticulata Frozen Planet

Iris reticulata 'Frozen Planet' produces lovely flowers in late winter, a crystalline white like frosted glass. They are dotted with pale blue on the lips and have a touch of yellow. This small solid bulb with a delicate appearance is perfectly hardy and blooms in February-March, adapting well to mountain or Mediterranean climates. It is a beautiful rock garden and container plant, best grown in well-drained soil.

Iris reticulata is a perennial plant of the iridaceae family, native to the mountains of the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. This iris is very hardy (to -34°C) and easy to grow in well-drained soil. 'Frozen Planet' is a hybrid derived from this species. The plant develops from a storage organ, which is an elongated bulb 2 to 3 cm tall, covered with a white epidermis. It blooms in late February or March, depending on the climate, before the foliage appears, making it valuable in the garden. The 8 to 10 cm wide flowers are carried on stems about 12 cm tall. They are large compared to the size of the plant and seem to emerge directly from the ground. They consist of 3 upright inner tepals dominating 3 more horizontal outer tepals adorned with a yellow midline. The white petals are magnified here by a slightly translucent, opalescent substance and are slightly fragrant. The foliage develops when the flowers fade, forming a clump of narrow, stiff, pointed leaves, up to 20 cm tall. It is at this time that the bulb divides into several bulblets, allowing the plant to colonise its environment.

Iris reticulata 'Frozen Planet' adapts perfectly to container cultivation, sunny borders, or rock gardens. This plant's main requirements are well-drained soil and exposure to sunlight. It blends beautifully with other small spring bulbs such as snowdrops, chionodoxas, crocuses, or early and botanical tulips. It also looks great in front of Stern's hellebores that appreciate the sun, and it is recommended to plant it in groups of 15 bulbs along with Pulsatilla patens, for example. This plant is also well-suited for alpine trough cultivation, where it can coexist with species like Dodecatheon, Globularia cordifolia, or Saxifraga 'Pixie'.