Iris germanica Blue Rhythm - Bearded Iris

Iris germanica 'Blue Rhythm' is an old variety of Garden iris that has won several awards and continues to impress gardeners with its vigour, beautiful blue colour, and long-lasting fragrant flowering. Its flowers are large, spacious, and light, with firm and iridescent texture, and their magnificent colour approaches a true medium blue. Among the tallest, flowering for a long period, 'Blue Rhythm' is a remarkable garden plant, as elegant as it is romantic. Stunning with lavenders or Perovskias.

Iris 'Blue Rhythm' is a rhizomatous perennial that forms upright clumps. Its deciduous foliage disappears in autumn and reappears in spring. This plant belongs to the family Iridaceae. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over the centuries, whose controversial origin is discussed around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It should be noted that Garden Iris has European origins.

The 'Blue Rhythm' Iris is a tall variety that reaches 95cm (37in) in height when flowering. Each rhizome produces a well-branched stem that carries numerous flower buds. The clump spreads very quickly, with no theoretical limit over time, with the centre rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer ones. The foliage consists of long sword-shaped leaves, glaucous green in colour, strongly veined. In April, floral stems appear that will produce flowers from May to June, in the middle to the end of the Garden Iris season, blooming from the top to the lower branches. This 'Blue Rhythm' variety has a pleasant lemon fragrance.

Obtained by Mme C. Whiting,1945 - Awards: Honorable Mention in 1945, Award of Merit in 1947 and Dykes Medal in 1950.

To accompany irises, choose plants to associate based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their "respectful" growth with irises (low plants or light foliage, non-competitive plants), and their decorative complementarity (appearance, flowering time). For example, Gauras will provide little shade to the irises and will keep the deflowered iris bed attractive throughout the summer. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist will tolerate the same dry soil as the iris in summer. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertias also complement irises very well. Slopes, the base of small trees with light foliage, and terraced edges will be stabilized by a dense planting of old varieties that can remain in place and require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for care is possible, one can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely than tall ones to be literally laid flat by wind and rain.

The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few clumps or borders of irises, as it is also the place dedicated to growing cut flowers.