Iris germanica Skylark's Song - Bearded Iris

The Iris germanica 'Skylark's Song' is a tall Bearded Iris that exudes romantic charm during its mid-season flowering. Large flower spikes bearing numerous buds rise in May to bloom into large bicoloured flowers. The light blue of the sepals harmoniously blends with the white of the upright petals to form a delicate pastel combination. For approximately three weeks, this Iris will enliven a flowerbed before visually receding to make way for other plants that will take over, until the following year... Easy to grow, this superb perennial only requires sun and well-drained, non-acidic soil.

The Iris is a member of the Iridaceae family. It hosts several dozen other ornamental genera which are plants with rootstocks or bulbs, some hardy and others exotic. The most popular in our climate are the charming small Crocus and also the tall Gladioli, but many other tender beauties deserve attention, such as the Ixias from South Africa. There are at least 210 botanical Iris species, and an impressive number of horticultural varieties as this genus greatly fascinates specialist and nursery growers. The most widely cultivated species today is Iris germanica, or German Iris, probably resulting from the hybridisation of various wild species.

The Iris germanica 'Skylark's Song' is an introduction from the American company Schreiners, specialising in Iris and Daylilies since 1925. This variety, launched in 1996, is the result of cross-fertilising between two varieties from the same grower: the 'Overnight Sensation', a tall Iris (100 cm) with bicoloured whitish-blue to violet-blue flowers, and the shorter (85 cm) 'Oregon Skies', with its monochrome light blue flowers. The result of this hybridisation is the perfect synthesis of both parents, particularly in terms of size, which is intermediate, as the 'Skylark's Song' reaches approximately 90-95 cm at full flowering. Like its first parent, it is a bicoloured variety, but the sepal colour has been inherited from its second parent. Mid to late flowering, this beautiful perennial forms a clump of slightly glaucous green leaves with an elongated sword-like appearance, which spread out in a fan shape from each rootstock. In spring, large flower spikes bearing 8 to 10 buds rise from the clump, and around mid-May, large flowers 10 cm in diameter bloom. The corollas consist of three upright, snow-white petals with delicately undulate edges, and three sepals resembling petals but wider and arranged horizontally, with the tip gracefully arched downward. Their colour is a beautiful light blue with a slight violet hue, bearing a white beard that matches the petals. Flowering spreads over three weeks if weather conditions are mild, particularly avoiding strong winds that can knock over the tall flower spikes, or heavy rain that sometimes damages the flowers. It is advisable to remove faded flowers to prevent the iris from wasting energy producing fruits of no ornamental interest.

The Bearded Iris 'Skylark's Song' will appeal to lovers of subtlety with its very graphic pastel-toned flowers. Plant it alongside varieties with staggered flowering times such as Pasque flowers which bloom early in spring. Thus, the Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Fairy Dreams', just as fond of sun and well-drained soil as your iris, will offer its magnificent very double purple flowers from April onwards. And to take over throughout the summer, nothing beats the charming Pinks (Dianthus).