Iris reticulata Pauline

Iris reticulata 'Pauline' is an attractive cultivar of iris known for its contrast and rich colour. It produces dark, violet-purple flowers with enticing white and ink-blue spots on the lips from late winter. It is slender and upright, graceful, with flowers barely touched by yellow and develops grey-green foliage. This small bulblet is sturdy despite its delicate appearance, perfectly hardy and blooms in February-March, adapting well to mountain or Mediterranean climates. A very pretty rock garden and container plant which should be planted in well-drained soil.

Iris reticulata is a perennial plant of the iridaceae family, native to the mountains of the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. This iris is very hardy (down to -34°C) and easy to grow in well-drained soil. 'Pauline' is a hybrid derived from this species. The plant grows from a storage organ, which is an elongated bulb 2 to 3 cm tall, covered with a white skin. It blooms from late February, or in March depending on the climate, before the foliage appears, making it valuable in the garden. The 8 to 10 cm wide flowers are borne on stems about 12 cm tall. They are large compared to the size of the plant and seem to emerge directly from the ground. They consist of 3 upright inner tepals dominating 3 more horizontal outer tepals. They are slightly fragrant. The foliage develops when the flowers fade, forming a clump of narrow, stiff, pointed leaves, up to 20 cm tall. At this time the bulb divides into several bulblets, allowing the plant to colonise its environment.

Iris reticulata 'Pauline' adapts perfectly to pot culture, sunny borders, or rock gardens. This plant's main requirements are well-drained soil and exposure to sunlight. It blends beautifully with other small spring bulbs such as snowdrops, chionodoxas, crocuses, or early and botanical tulips. It also looks lovely in front of Stern hellebores that appreciate the sun, and it is recommended to plant it in groups of 15 bulbs alongside Pulsatilla patens, for example. This plant is also well-suited for alpine trough culture, where it can coexist with species like Dodecatheon, Globularia cordifolia, or Saxifraga 'Pixie'.