Iris Seafire - Dwarf iris

The 'Seafire' Iris is a dwarf iris that offers blue flowers with red beards, starting in early spring. Its flowers are delicate, gently wavy, and subtly fragrant. Dwarf irises, as easy to grow as their larger cousins, are perfect for creating a springtime display in rock gardens, containers, borders, and on slopes.

The 'Seafire' Iris is classified in the horticultural group of Standard Dwarf Bearded (SDB) irises. Varieties in this group meet the following criteria: Foliage as tall as the flower stem, upright, height between 25 and 40 cm and flowers measuring 7.5 cm to 10 cm in diameter. In the SDB group (Standard Dwarf Bearded), hybrids are found between the truly dwarf iris pumila and the Tall Bearded Iris. Of modest size, dwarf irises bloom before tall irises, but after true dwarf irises. All these plants belong to the iridaceae family.

Starting in spring, the 'Seafire' Iris forms small upright clumps. Its foliage is deciduous, absent in winter. The plant will reach a height of 30 cm when in bloom and the clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the centre rhizomes becoming bare in favor of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long, sword-shaped, slightly glaucous green leaves. It is a variety that blooms in the middle of the dwarf iris season. In March, short flower stems appear that will bloom in April, earlier or later depending on the climate. The flower stems bear 2 to 3 flowers. Each flower, measuring 7 to 8 cm in diameter, consists of three upright petals of a fairly light blue colour, surmounting 3 almost horizontal sepals of the same blue, but washed with bronze-green under the beards. These beards are cream-white, but red at the base. Note that the flowers of 'Seafire' emit a slight musky fragrance.

Bred by Marky Smith, Yakima, Washington State, United States, in 1999

Award: Honorable Mention (H.M) in 2003.

To accompany irises, choose plants based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their "respectful" vegetation towards irises (low-growing plants or light foliage), their decorative appearance and flowering date. For example, Gaura will provide little shade and keep the iris bed attractive throughout the summer. Eschscholzia will be satisfied with the same dry and poor soil as the iris. Geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also accompany irises very well. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilised by dense plantings of old diploid varieties that can remain in place and require little care.

Rock gardens, rocky 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!