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Iris germanica Star Appeal - Tall Bearded Iris

Iris germanica Star Appeal
Bearded Iris

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A tall coral-pink iris, reaching nearly one metre in height, which flowers early in the tall bearded iris season. Its undulate, almost monochrome flowers are adorned with tangerine beards. Plant its rootstocks in summer, in full sun, in a well-drained, rather lime-bearing soil. It will look superb in a spring border, planted in large clumps.
Height at maturity
97 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
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Description

'Star Appeal' is a fairly early tall bearded iris in its category, developing stately flower stems bearing large, well-ruffled flowers. Its deep pink colour corresponds to that of a reference cultivar named 'Ovation'. It is a vibrant coral pink, warm and bright, more salmon than candy pink. This vivid pink, warmed by mandarin beards, gives it a lot of character: it is not a pastel iris, but a bright, luminous pink, proudly borne on stems approaching 1 m in height.

Like other tall bearded irises, it grows from fleshy rhizomes that run near the soil surface. They lengthen and branch over the years. The young portions bear fans of glaucous green leaves; the older parts eventually become exhausted: an aged clump becomes bare in the centre and should be divided. The flowering of this cultivar 'Star Appeal' takes place in May, towards the beginning of the tall bearded iris season. The flowers are large, well-ruffled, with soft, crumpled edges. The upright petals, the style arms and the trailing sepals belong to the same range of pink. The mandarin beards are clearly visible in the throat and warm the whole. On an open flower, one also notices the plicate texture of the sepals and the small lighter shades that appear around the beard.

'Star Appeal' was raised by Joseph Ghio, in California. It was registered in 2008 under the seedling number 02-65-O, then introduced in 2009 by Bay View. It is the result of a cross between seedling 00-34Y2, a sibling of 'Picture Book', and seedling 00-144R3, itself from a line combining a sibling of 'Natural Blond' and 'Magical Encounter'. It received an Honorable Mention from the American Iris Society in 2011.

Tall bearded irises are the result of a long history of hybridization around bearded rhizomatous irises. In this history, Iris pallida and Iris variegata played a major role; their natural cross is now recognised under the name Iris × germanica. Modern cultivars then gained in height, flower size, ruffling and colour richness through the contribution of other lines of Mediterranean and Near Eastern bearded irises.

Iris 'Star Appeal' will dominate flower beds in the heart of spring in full sun. Avoid planting alongside it plants that make large leaves, as they would deprive its rhizomes of the sun which they so need to flower. Plant it in groups of 3 rhizomes spaced 40 cm apart; the clump will be fuller after two or three years of cultivation. Its magnificent pink colour combines well with white asphodel, Verbena officinalis 'Bampton', Allium sphaerocephalon and Helianthemum 'Lawrenson's Pink'.

The vegetable garden can accommodate a few clumps of irises, along with other cut flowers, notably gladioli and hybrid lilies.

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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 pink
Flowering time May
Inflorescence Spike
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Semi-evergreen
Foliage colour medium green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 97 cm
Spread at maturity 40 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Iris

Species

germanica

Cultivar

Star Appeal

Family

Iridaceae

Other common names

Bearded Iris

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference26113

Planting and care

Plant Iris ‘Star Appeal’ from July to October. Choose a very sunny position, with at least six hours of direct sunlight a day, as shade significantly reduces flowering. Place it in fertile soil, neutral to calcareous, especially very well-drained; in clay soil, loosen it widely and add gravel or coarse sand to avoid stagnant water around the rootstock. Place the rootstock almost at the surface, with the upper side visible in the sun, and bury only the roots. Space the plants 30 to 40 cm apart. Water at planting, then only during prolonged drought in the first year. Remove faded flowers, cut the spent flower stems at 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
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 stalks at the end of flowering. Optionally, cut the foliage at an angle to half height 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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