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Iris germanica Aubigny Auld Alliance - Tall Bearded Iris

Iris germanica Aubigny Auld Alliance
Bearded Iris

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This variety sends up 80 cm stems in late spring. Its bicolour flowers combine cream petals with trailing sepals of a near-black plum, marked with cream and fine purplish streaks around the lemon beard. Plant it in full sun, in very well-drained soil, neutral to lime-bearing, even dry in summer.
Height at maturity
80 cm
Spread at maturity
40 cm
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -15°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil, Moist soil
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Best planting time August to September
Recommended planting time July to October
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Flowering time May to June
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Description

The iris ‘Aubigny Auld Alliance’ is a tall bearded iris that flowers in the second half of spring. Its bicoloured flowers are particularly contrasting, with upright petals in cream and sepals in a near-black violet with a velvety appearance. The lemon‑yellow beards set on a large light‑coloured spot draw the eye into the heart of the flower. Plant this tall bearded iris in a very sunny border, in well‑drained, rather calcareous soil.

This cultivar belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is a rhizomatous perennial. Its rootstock produces roots, fan‑arranged leaves and new lateral shoots that allow the clump to widen. The plant forms an upright clump, composed of sword‑shaped leaves, grey‑green to glaucous, rigid, ribbed, a few centimetres wide and arranged in two ranks. The foliage is semi‑evergreen in winter depending on the climate. Iris × germanica is an ancient hybrid of Iris pallida and I. variegata, probably originating in the north‑west of the Balkan peninsula.

‘Aubigny Auld Alliance’ was registered by Richard Cayeux in 2016 and then introduced to the horticultural market in 2017. It descends from a line in which the irises ‘Initiative’ and ‘Grenade’ feature. The plant reaches about 80 cm in height in flower and spreads at least 40–50 cm. The flower stems rise above the foliage in May–June, depending on the climate; it is a mid‑season to late variety. Each flower shows three upright petals and three trailing sepals. The petals are cream‑white, washed with lime yellow at the base. The sepals are very dark, plum‑purple to blackish‑violet, with a cream centre veined in violet. The beard forms a yellow line with a white tip. The flower is large, wavy and graphic.
The name of this cultivar recalls the Franco‑Scottish Auld Alliance, a historic link that the town of Aubigny‑sur‑Nère maintains with Scotland.

Plant this iris in full sun, in fairly rich soil that dries quickly after rain. Set the rootstock at soil level, because a buried rootstock rots or flowers poorly. Water at planting time, then let the plant live off rainfall, except during prolonged drought. You can associate this variety with Nepeta ‘Purrsian Blue’, Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, the chartreuse umbels of Euphorbia characias ‘Tasmanian Tiger’ and the fine panicles of Stipa tenuifolia ‘Pony Tails’. 

The vegetable garden can be enhanced with a few clumps or borders of irises, for it is also the classic place for cut flowers.

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Garden iris, bearded iris: planting, care
Family sheet
by Virginie T. 13 min.
Garden iris, bearded iris: planting, care
Read article

Flowering

Flower colour two-tone
Flowering time May to June
Inflorescence Spike
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Semi-evergreen
Foliage colour medium green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 80 cm
Spread at maturity 40 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Iris

Species

germanica

Cultivar

Aubigny Auld Alliance

Family

Iridaceae

Other common names

Bearded Iris

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference26055

Planting and care

Plant the iris ‘Aubigny Auld Alliance’ from July to October. Choose a very sunny position, with at least six hours of direct sunlight per day, as shade significantly reduces flowering. Set it in fertile, neutral to calcareous soil, especially well-drained; in clay soil, loosen generously and add gravel or coarse sand to prevent stagnant water around the rootstock. Place the rootstock almost at the surface, with the top side visible to the sun, and bury only the roots. Space the young plants 30 to 40 cm apart. Water at planting time, then only during prolonged drought in the first year. Remove faded flowers, cut spent flower stems to the base, and remove dry leaves at the end of winter. Divide the rootstocks every three or four years, in summer, when the centre of the clump flowers less.

Planting period

Best planting time August to September
Recommended planting time July to October

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery
Type of use Border, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -15°C (USDA zone 7b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 4 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil rich and well-drained

Care

Pruning instructions Cut the flower stems after flowering. Optionally, cut the foliage at a slant halfway up in summer using pruning shears.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time July to August
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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