Iris germanica Sinister Desire - Bearded Iris
Iris germanica Sinister Desire - Bearded Iris
Iris germanica Sinister Desire
Bearded Iris
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Description
The Iris ‘Sinister Desire’ is an intermediate Bearded Iris with a very dark colour, in a palette of black cherry, velvety red and bronze. Its velvety-textured flowers are superb in borders among pastel blooms. Awarded in the United States, vigorous and well-branched, this cultivar is one of the last to flower in the garden among the intermediates.
This Iris germanica belongs to the Iridaceae family. 'Sinister Desire' is an intermediate bearded iris: its height places it between dwarf irises, which are shorter and earlier, and the tall bearded irises. It reaches 60-63 cm in flower. The plant develops from fleshy, horizontal rootstocks that lie at soil level. These multiply at the periphery, allowing the clump to spread over the years. The leaves are glaucous green, long, narrow, pointed, arranged in a fan. In this variety, the flower stems have 2 to 3 branches and an average of 7 to 8 buds. Flowering occurs in May, or even early June in cool climates. The flower is bitone red-black, meaning it displays two different shades of the same colour on the petals and sepals. The three upright petals are a cherry red close to black, the style arms visible in the centre of the flower echo this dark cherry hue, the three trailing sepals are a blackish red with a velvety texture that absorbs light. Their margin is slightly lighter. The beards are bronze to coppery brown in colour, thick in the centre of the sepals. The fragrance is light, with a spicy note.
‘Sinister Desire’ is a creation of Paul Black, registered and introduced in 1998 by Mid-America Garden. Its seedling number is C100A. It results from a cross-breeding between ‘Red Zinger’ and ‘Tom Johnson’. It received an Honourable Mention from the American Iris Society in 2001.
You can plant this variety ‘Sinister Desire’ in a sunny border, raised or not, as well as on a bank. Its somewhat theatrical colour will be enhanced by whites, pale lilacs, blue-greys and silvery foliage. You can associate it with the intermediate iris ‘Immortality’, with the late single tulip ‘Maureen’, with Allium karataviense or with Dianthus plumarius ‘Devon Dove’.
Flowering
Foliage
Plant habit
Botanical data
Iris
germanica
Sinister Desire
Iridaceae
Bearded Iris
Cultivar or hybrid
Planting and care
Plant the iris ‘Sinister Desire’ from July to October, when the rhizome can root before winter, or in spring in heavy soils that remain moist in autumn. Choose a position in full sun, with at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Prepare a light, loose, rather rich soil, neutral to alkaline or slightly acidic, but above all well-drained. In clay soil, plant on a slight mound and mix gravel or coarse sand into the planting soil. Place the rhizome almost at the surface, with the back visible to the sun, then cover only the roots. Water after planting, then only during prolonged droughts in the first year. Remove faded flowers as they appear. Cut spent flower stems at the base, but keep healthy leaves until they turn yellow. Apply some well-rotted compost in spring, around the clump, without covering the rhizomes. Divide the clumps every three or four years, in summer, when the centre flowers less.
Planting period
Intended location
Care
Planting & care advice
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
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In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a (East Coast and Midlands: Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Portlaoise). It will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the north-west (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal, Westport), delay planting by 1 to 2 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 1 to 2 weeks in autumn compared to the dates given, preferably choosing periods without strong winds.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (Wicklow Mountains, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Connemara, Killarney), it is best to plant in spring (April–May) or autumn (September–October), avoiding periods of waterlogged soil in winter and strong winds, which pose the main risk to newly planted trees in these areas.
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a, such as the East Coast and Midlands, including Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Portlaoise.
This will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the northwest (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal and Westport), it will be delayed by one to two weeks compared to the given dates, due to stronger Atlantic winds and less spring sunshine.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (the Wicklow Mountains, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Connemara and Killarney), flowering will be delayed by two to three weeks. Flowering mainly occurs between May and July, with the limiting factors being less frost and more of the excessive humidity, strong winds and lack of sunshine that are characteristic of these areas.