Iris Ball of Confusion

Iris 'Ball of Confusion' is one of the bearded irises that stands out in spring and makes us look forward to the next spring, to once again enjoy its beautiful frilly flowers in shades of blue-mauve to purple on a white background. Its original, colourful, and bright flower is composed of 3 upper petals heavily dotted with medium blue-violet and edged with purple, dominating 3 sepals bordered by a wide purple area, speckled and dotted with blue-violet and purple around a large white halo, with yellow-orange beards. It quickly forms beautifully flowering clumps in May-June. It is an unusual flower with a strong personality that will bring life to sunny flower beds, borders, and slopes.

The 'Ball of Confusion' Iris was introduced to the horticultural market in 2004 and is a rhizomatous, deciduous perennial plant which forms a clump from spring. It will reach approximately 90 cm (35in) high when in bloom. It will spread without a theoretical limit, with the centre gradually becoming less dense. The sword-shaped foliage is glaucous green and highly veined. Flower stalks appear in April and bloom in May. The astonishing and particularly rich colour of this plant is enhanced by the texture of the frilly petals and sepals.

To accompany irises, choose plants that thrive in the sun and dry soil, preferably low-growing or with light foliage so as not to cast shade on them, and consider their appearance and flowering time. Gauras, for example, meet these criteria, and their later flowering will keep the flower bed attractive in summer. California poppies, perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertias also complement irises very well. You can plant tall irises against a wall in relative shelter from the wind or in the background of shorter and earlier varieties. The vegetable garden can also be planted with a few clumps or borders of irises for cutting.