Iris Brassie (SD)

Iris 'Brassie' is a dwarf garden iris with bright yellow flowers that will bring cheerfulness to rockeries and borders. Not very tall, it withstands the wind well. The plant quickly forms pretty, well-flowered clumps in April.

Iris Brassie is a small rhizomatous perennial plant from the iridaceae family. It is part of a horticultural group called SDB (Standard Dwarf Bearded). In this group, hybrids can be found between the pumila iris, which is truly dwarf, and the Grand Garden Iris. These small irises flower before the tall irises, but after the true dwarf irises.

From spring onwards, the Brassie Iris forms small upright clumps of deciduous foliage. The plant will reach a height of 35 cm (14in) when in flower and the clump will spread without a theoretical limit over time, with the central rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long sword-shaped, glaucous green leaves. Short flower stalks appear in March and bloom in April, earlier or later depending on the climate. The flower stalks generally bear a solitary flower at their tips. The flower is 7 to 8 cm (3in) in diameter and composed of three upright petals of chrome yellow surmounting 3 almost trailing sepals of the same yellow, but washed with green. The beards are golden yellow.

Obtained by Warburton, 1958 - Awards: Honorable mention in 1958; Cook-Douglas Prize in 1962; Cook-Douglas Medal in 1969.

To accompany the irises, plants should be chosen based on their needs (exposure, soil...), vegetation (low plants or light foliage), decorative appearance and flowering date. For example, Gaura will provide little shade and keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout the summer. Eschscholzia will be happy with dry and poor soil, just like the iris. Geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also accompany irises very well. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilised by dense planting of old diploid varieties that require little care.

Rockeries, stony and dry meadows, limestone plateaus, rocky slopes, green roofs: use the full range of irises. Border edges are the domain of border irises, but also of dwarf irises!