RHS Plants

Profiling seasonal plants that have earned the RHS Award

of Garden Merit (agm), the Societys highest plant accolade

RHS Tall Bearded

Iris Trial 2012-2015
MALCOLM gathercole

Chris Towers, a member of

the RHS Herbaceous Plant
Committee, says:
In 2015 we completed the RHS
Plant Trial of Tall Bearded Iris. Three rhizomes
each of 62 cultivars were planted at RHS
Garden Wisley, Surrey, in 2012; the seven
shown here earned agms.
Judges gathered during May and June to

1 2
assess the trial. This was necessary as we
wanted to choose irises that have a long
flowering period, as well as meeting our
requirements regarding bud count, quality
of flowers, good branching and even height.
They also had to stand up to exceptionally
heavy rain and hail during the flowering

period. Put simply, we were looking for
outstanding garden plants.

1 Iris Noctambule: 4 I. I Feel Good:

up to 100cm (39in). up to 100cm (39in).
Bicoloured flowers, Purple-edged falls.
falls almost black. 5 I. Hever Castle:
2 I. Caterina: up to up to 76cm (30in).
90cm (35in). Violet Unusual cedar-brown.
flowers, no ruffle. 6 I. Macaron: up to
3 I. Shurton 90cm (35in). Yellow
Princess: up to with brown edge.

3 4
90cm (35in). 7 I. Sanctification:
Heavily ruffled up to 100cm (39in).
blooms. Small, neat flowers.
Photographs: Andrew Mcseveney

5 6 7
June 2016 | The Garden 27
 RHS Plants

More Tall Bearded agms

Bearded iris have been cultivated for centuries, resulting in an indulgent array of cultivar
sizes and colours. The blooms, although often bright and blowsy, always retain an elegant
charm. Every flower is composed of upright petals (standards) and outward-spreading
petals (falls) with varying degrees of ruffle around the edges. Some agms earned in earlier

chris towers
trials include those shown below. RHS hardiness rating H7 (colder than 20c/4f).

Assessing Tall Bearded iris

during the 20122015 trial.

Classification
of bearded iris
Bearded iris cultivars are
classified according to their size.
Of the classifications, three have
similar heights but differ in
flower number, size and spacing:
Brave New World Eileen Louise Lark Rise
Heavily ruffled and scented Delicate apricot flowers; Beautiful two-tone cultivar,
Miniature Dwarf Bearded:
flowers, stems grow to approximately 90cm (35in) which flowers mid- to late
the smallest of bearded irises;
around 100cm (39in). Blue- in height. Stems bear up to spring. Stems reach around
up to 20cm (8in).
green foliage to 60cm (24in). eight flowers. 100cm (39in) in height.
Standard Dwarf Bearded:
forming neat clumps in two or
three years, standard dwarf are
around 2040cm (816in).
Intermediate Bearded: four
or five blooms are produced
per spike, with flower stems
4070cm (1628in).
Miniature Tall Bearded: also
reaching 4070cm (1628in)
and resembling miniature
versions of Tall Bearded iris.
Border Bearded: each
flowering stem has one branch Early Light Andalou Kiss of Summer
fewer than tall bearded iris and Cream flowers are flushed An unusual contrast of yellow Ruffled, pale yellow-cream
again reaches height between with lemon-yellow at the standards and velvety red flowers in early summer and a
4070cm (1628in). edges; reaches about 100cm falls, reaching approximately bright orange beard, growing
Tall Bearded: the tallest (39in) tall. Grey-green foliage. 90cm (35in) in height. to around 100cm (39in) tall.
bearded iris cultivars at
70120cm (2848in).
Photographs: RHS / Ali Cundy; except Lark Rise: RHS / Philippa Gibson

More online
For growing guidelines,
search Bearded iris
advice at www.rhs.org.uk
For RHS Plant Trials
information and
reports, search by plant
name at: www.rhs.org.
uk/plant-trial-database
Queens Circle Diabolique Alizes
Enjoy a host of Plant Societies Often up to eight pure white, Robust, with heavily ruffled, Pale green foliage with stems
and colourful displays at the Plant blue-margined flowers per rich purple flowers to around of up to seven elegant two-tone
Society Show, RHS Garden Wisley, stem. Height around 90cm 90cm (35in) tall with a blue- flowers, reaching around
1819 June. See Update, p97. (35in). Foliage to 65cm (26in). purple beard. 90cm (35in) in height.

28 The Garden | June 2016