Flowering colour: deep and light blue, purple, yellow and white
Flowering period: June – July
Average plant height: 60 cm
Planting depth to base of bulb: 15 cm
Spacing between bulbs: 10
Type of bulb: bulb
Light requirement: full sun
Landscape uses: beds, borders and as cut flowers
These irises never grew wild in the Netherlands. Instead, they are the products of hybridisation carried out by a Dutch plant breeding firm by the name of Tubergen. Two species playing an important role in the development of these hybrids were I. xiphium and I. lusitanic. For growing them, a rich, well-drained soil is important for success. The bulbs can be left in the ground if desired, but there is a risk of disease. The flowers are 10 cm in diameter, and the flower stalks are very sturdy – a quality which makes them quite suitable for use as cut flowers. The colour assortment is very wide and includes bicoloured varieties.
Most commonly available cultivars
- ‘Apollo’: yellow and white
- ‘Blue Diamond’: blue
- ‘Blue Magic’: deep purple-blue
- ‘Blue Ribbon’: (‘Professor Blaauw’): deep blue
- ‘Casablanca’: white
- ‘Hildegarde’: light blue
- ‘Ideal’: sky blue
- ‘Imperator’: blue and orange
- ‘Madonna’: white
- ‘Purple Sensation’: deep purple
- ‘Royal Yellow’: yellow
- ‘Saturnus’: white and pale yellow
- ‘Symphony’: yellow and white
- ‘Telstar’: deep blue
- ‘White Bridge’: pure white
- ‘White van Vliet’: pure white
- ‘White Wedgwood’: pure white
These bulbs are sometimes sold as mixed colours.
