Iris reticulata Mars Landing

The 'Iris reticulata 'Mars Landing' is a recent and rather unique Canadian hybrid variety. It is small in size and offers unusual flowers from the end of winter,  combining yellow and brown. The coloured inner petals in smoky brown dominate three outer petals bordered and striated in brown-purple on a sulfur yellow background. A rare plant that will appeal to novelty enthusiasts!

'Mars Landing' is the result of various cross-breeding involving Iris histrioides var. sophenensis, with blue speckled flowers, and I. danfordiae, with yellow flowers. These two "ancestors" are native to the Caucasus and naturally grow in alpine meadows and rocky habitats (on limestone and gneiss-rich soil) between 1000 and 2500m (3281 and 8202ft) altitude. The 'Mars Landing' cultivar forms a small, erect and spreading clump of 15 cm (6in) in flower that can theoretically spread indefinitely through the production of bulblets.  It blooms at the end of winter, when the days begin to lengthen, usually in February-March. Its solitary flowers, 5 to 6 cm (2in) in length, are relatively small for a reticulated iris, but clearly visible on the plant and fragrant. They consist of spatulate tepals, with the 3 upper ones being quite wide and erect, and the 3 lower ones lanceolate, bulging, and heavily veined in brown on a yellow background. Each flower is enclosed at the base by two scale-like bracts in a purplish green colour. The foliage, short during flowering, lengthens afterwards. The basal leaves are glaucous green, quadrangular in section, sheathing at the base. They are deciduous and disappear in summer.

The reticulated iris is perfect in rockeries, borders, flowerbeds, or to decorate ephemeral flowering pots, to be brought indoors to enjoy its fragrance up close. It pairs well with iris pumila,  botanical crocuses,  botanical daffodils, anemones blanda, or Algerian iris. Let the bulbs naturalize, and after a few years, they will form lovely clumps that herald the return of spring.