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Iris germanica Vanity Girl - Tall Bearded Iris

Iris germanica Vanity Girl
Bearded Iris

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This mid-late variety flowers in May-June on tall stems. Its flowers consist of upright soft pink petals and white sepals edged with pale pink, with a white beard brushed with coral. They give off a light fragrance. Plant it in full sun, in well-drained soil, even lime-bearing and dry in summer. It is hardy to below -20°C.
Height at maturity
90 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 to June
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Description

The Iris ‘Vanity Girl’ is a tall garden iris that blends soft pink and white tones on its large, wavy flowers. Its tall stems bear lightly scented blooms. This mid-season to late variety accompanies salvias, catmints and ornamental onions in late spring. It also provides excellent stems for cut flower arrangements.

This plant belongs to the Iridaceae family. The tall bearded irises sold under the name Iris germanica are horticultural hybrids. The botanical name Iris × germanica refers to a very old rhizomatous hybrid resulting from a cross between Iris pallida and Iris variegata. It is thought to originate from the north-west of the Balkan peninsula. In the garden, these irises behave as robust perennials, resistant to both cold and dry conditions. Their sword-shaped leaves persist more or less through winter.

'Vanity Girl' was registered in 2016 by Thomas Johnson and introduced the same year by Mid-America. This cultivar comes from a cross between 'Rite of Passage' and 'Venita Faye'. In 2018, the judges of the American Iris Society awarded it an Honorable Mention, an accolade recognising a variety noted in cultivation. It belongs to the tall bearded iris group. The plant reaches about 89 cm in flower. The clump widens by means of short rhizomes that form at its periphery. The leaves are long, flat, glaucous green to medium green, arranged in a fan. The branched flower stems rise clearly above the foliage. The buds open into large flowers with six tepals: three inner tepals, upright, light pink, and three outer tepals, more trailing, white, marked with medium pink on the shoulders and washed with pale pink on the edge. The beard, located on the sepals, gives its name to the bearded iris group; in this variety, it is white, brushed with coral and touched with lavender at its tip. 
The name Iris comes from ancient Greek and referred to both the flower and the rainbow; indeed these plants offer a very wide colour palette.

Plant this iris 'Vanity Girl' in full sun, on a slope, bank or in a very well-drained border. Allow the tops of the rhizomes to show and avoid associating it with plants that shade the rhizomes. It will look superb with the Eremurus ‘White Beauty Favourite’, the Nepeta ‘Purrsian Blue’, the Salvia nemorosa ‘Schneehügel’ and the Sedum ‘Matrona’. Place the Eremurus in the background, as its spikes rise above the iris flower stems. The resulting bed will remain in flower until the end of summer.

The vegetable garden can accommodate a few clumps of iris, along with other cut flowers, such as 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 to June
Inflorescence Spike
Fragrance slightly scented
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Semi-evergreen
Foliage colour medium green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 90 cm
Spread at maturity 40 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Iris

Species

germanica

Cultivar

Vanity Girl

Family

Iridaceae

Other common names

Bearded Iris

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference261101

Planting and care

Plant Iris 'Vanity Girl' from July to October. Choose a very sunny position, with at least six hours of direct sunlight per day, as shade significantly reduces flowering. Plant it in fertile soil, neutral to alkaline, especially very well-drained; in clay soil, loosen it well and add gravel or coarse sand to avoid waterlogging around the rootstock. Place the rootstock almost at the surface, with the upper side visible to the sun, and bury only the roots. Space the plants 30 to 40 cm apart. Water at planting time, then only in case of prolonged drought during the first year. Remove faded flowers, cut 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, Rockery
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 stems at the end of flowering. Optionally, cut the foliage at an angle halfway up 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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