Iris germanica Comme un Sourire - Bearded Iris

Iris germanica 'Comme un Sourire' is a vigorous variety of Bearded Iris, producing large, bicoloured flowers that are both striking and colourful. The pale pink petals stretch skywards in graceful waves, while the lower sepals offer a strong contrast between a rosy-white centre and a light violet-purple border. They are adorned with a beard that shifts between yellow and tangerine orange, further enhancing the corolla's beauty. This elegant iris forms lovely clumps in full sun.

A flagship genus of the Iridaceae family, from which it takes its name, Iris coexists with dozens of other genera spread from temperate to tropical regions. Most are perennial plants, with rootstocks like Libertia, corms (Gladioli), or bulbs, such as the intoxicatingly fragrant Freesia. Native to Syria, Iris germanica is believed to be the ancestor of our modern Bearded Irises. They are called Bearded Irises, due to the development of a fuzzy band at the base of the sepals.
Bearded Iris 'Comme un Sourire' is a creation by the French breeder Cayeux, based in central France, who for over a century has introduced increasingly attractive new varieties. Launched in 2016, this cultivar is the result of cross-breeding between 'Nouvelle Vague' and a hybrid itself derived from two varieties, 'Calypso Beat' and 'Secret Service'.
'Comme un Sourire' is a superb synthesis of these parent plants. It forms clumps reaching 80 cm in height and around 50 cm in width. The sword-shaped, slightly glaucous green leaves are arranged in a fan. In spring, they produce flowering stems bearing alternate flower buds, usually three to five per stem, sometimes more. The flowers bloom from mid-May, or June in colder regions, unfurling three large horizontal sepals, their tips bending to showcase them visually, and three upright petals. These six segments, with elegantly wavy margins, form a striking corolla, around twelve centimetres in diameter. The petals have a pale pink hue, washed with apricot, creating a pleasant contrast with the darker sepals. The sepals have a barely rosy-white heart, edged with a light violet-purple border. At the base of the petals, a tangerine-orange beard fades into yellow tones, while a network of light violet veins spreads towards the wide border of the same colour. The plant spreads outward each year thanks to its rhizomes, which produce new growth, while the centre gradually thins out.

Bearded Iris 'Comme un Sourire' will thrive alongside earlier-flowering varieties. However, it's worth noting that after the flowering period, which generally lasts around three weeks, the iris loses much of its ornamental appeal. It is therefore best paired with other perennial plants or bushes that will extend the flowering season, both in early spring and autumn. Also a lover of full sun, Cytisus praecox 'Allgold' will produce a dazzling spring fireworks display of bright yellow in March-April, heralding the start of the flowering season. Shrubby Potentillas can accompany your iris, producing small single flowers in varied hues throughout the summer. Among the perennials, Gauras will also light up the summer with their airy, butterfly-like blooms...