Iris reticulata Splish Splash

The Iris reticulata 'Splish Splash' is a variety of reticulated iris resembling 'Sea Breeze' in terms of colour, but its larger flowers are more brightly coloured and have broader petals. With clean lines and precise design, they consist of 3 upright and bi-coloured petaloid styles, indigo and white, dominating 3 lighter blue sepals with a central white mark, speckled with blue-black and a yellow crest. This small bulbous plant, like other reticulated irises, is enchanting after winter. Absolutely stunning, these flowers deserve to be planted in a flowerpot to be observed up close.

The Iris reticulata 'Splish Splash' is attributed to Canadian breeder Alan Mac Murtrie, who has specialized in hybridizing small botanical irises from the mountains of the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq for the past 30 years. In nature, these plants grow in alpine meadows and rocky habitats (on limestone and gneiss-rich soil) at altitudes between 1000 and 2500m (3281 and 8202ft).

The 'Splish Splash' variety forms a small, erect and spreading clump of 15 cm (6in) when in flower, and it can theoretically spread indefinitely through the production of bulblets. It flowers at the end of winter, when the days start to lengthen, usually in February-March. Its solitary flowers, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) in length, are relatively large compared to the size of the plant. They consist of 3 female floral parts, called styles, transformed into narrow, upright, spatulate petals. Their indigo blue colour is marked by a white midline that widens towards the tip of the style, which is entirely white. Underneath this trio of petaloid styles, 3 horizontal sepals are arranged in a quincunx pattern. Wider, they are convex, with a lighter blue colour and a central white mark. These sepals are also heavily punctate with blue-black and traversed by a yellow midline. Each flower is enclosed at the base by two scale-like bracts of a purple-green colour. The foliage, short during flowering, elongates 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 even to decorate ephemeral flowering pots, which can be brought indoors to fully enjoy their fragrance. It pairs well with iris pumila, botanical crocuses, anemones blanda, or Algerian iris. Let the bulbs naturalize, 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, as well as hot and dry summers. Therefore, it can easily be adopted in mountainous and rocky gardens, or in a dry garden.