Iris germanica Haute Savoie - Bearded Iris

Iris germanica 'Haute Savoie' is a high-class iris, extraordinary both for the size of its flowers and for their colour and shape. They are giant, strikingly bicoloured, very wavy, with thick-textured petals. The blooms evoke a high mountain landscape: the yellow-orange heart, like the first ray of sunshine, reflects on a white glacier plunging into an indigo blue lake. Give it a prime spot in your sunny beds - this prodigious iris will impress your visitors!

The 'Haute-Savoie' Iris is a rhizomatous perennial plant that develops in spring in elegantly erect clumps, with foliage disappearing in winter. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained acros the centuries, whose controversial origins revolve around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It is worth noting that Bearded Iris have European origins. They are plants that thrive in alkaline soils and require plenty of sunlight, with their rhizomes needing to 'cook' in summer to be able to bloom. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

'Haute-Savoie' is a mid to late-season variety that reaches a height of 80 cm (32in) when flowering, with several buds per stem. The clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer ones. The foliage consists of long and wide sword-shaped leaves, a slightly glaucous green, traversed by parallel veins. In April, floral stems appear, which will produce large, strongly undulated flowers in May, blooming progressively from the top to the lower branches. They consist of 3 upright petals in a dominant glacier-white colour and 3 horizontal sepals with a pure white centre, largely bordered by indigo blue that radiates on the white. The beards are yellow-orange. The colour of this plant is, as always with Iris germanica, magnified by the thick and iridescent texture of the floral parts.

Obtained by Cayeux, 2022.

To accompany your irises, choose plants based on their similar needs (sunlight, soil), a growth habit that is "respectful" of irises (i.e. non-competitive plants which are shorter, have light foliage), and how they complement each other visually (appearance, flowering period). For example, Gauras won't create shade, and will keep the bed attractive all summer after your irises have finished flowering. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist will tolerate dry soil in summer, just like irises. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertias also accompany irises very well. The earth around the base of small trees with light foliage, and on slopes and terraced edges, will be stabilised by dense planting of old varieties that can remain in place and require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for maintenance is possible, one can choose more modern varieties, e.g. intermediate ones that are less likely than tall ones to be literally flattened by wind and rain.

The vegetable garden can also be adorned with a few clumps or iris borders since it is the classic place for the cultivation of cut flowers.