Iris reticulata Sunshine

The Iris reticulata 'Sunshine', like a radiant sun, heralds the return of spring. While snowdrops fall asleep, this reticulated iris unfurls its beautiful-sized flowers for such a small plant. Adorned with delicate lines, they display two shades of yellow and are slightly and pleasantly fragrant. Defying the last harshness of winter, this small, sturdy bulbous plant is perfectly hardy and adapts well to sunny flower beds, rockeries, or containers. It appreciates the sun and well-drained soil, which should be cool in winter and dry in summer.

The Iris reticulata is a perennial plant from the family of irises, native to the mountains of the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. This iris is very hardy (up to -34°C (-29.2°F)) and easy to grow. 'Sunshine', from which it originates, is a recent Canadian creation with complex parentage. The plant grows from a storage organ, which is an elongated bulb 2 to 3 cm (1in) tall, covered with a white epidermis. It blooms from late February or March, depending on the climate, before the foliage appears, making it precious in the garden. The flowers, 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) wide, are carried by stems about 12 cm (5in) 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 in pale yellow, dominating 3 more horizontal outer tepals in a solid golden yellow. They are slightly fragrant. The foliage develops when the flowers fade, forming a clump of narrow, stiff, and pointed leaves, up to 20 cm (8in) tall. It is at this time that the bulb divides into several bulblets, allowing the plant to colonize its environment.

The Iris reticulata Sunshine can be cultivated in containers as well as in sunny flower beds or rockeries. Its only requirements are well-drained soil and a sunny location. It can be paired with other early-flowering small bulbs, such as snowdrops, spring crocuses, or early-flowering botanical tulips. It also blends well with hellebores. Plant them in groups of 15 bulbs to quickly create beautiful splashes of colour in early spring. It adapts perfectly to mountainous and Mediterranean climates.