Iris germanica Black Knight - Bearded Iris

The 'Black Knight' German Iris is an old garden iris variety that is still popular for its almost black navy blue flowering. Its silky flower, with a classic shape, displays a very dark violet colour, very uniform, with black reflections on the sepals. This medium-sized variety will withstand the wind better. It is easy to cultivate and will bring life to rock gardens and sunny beds between May and June. With good vase life and a pleasant fragrance, the flowers are also beautiful in bouquets.

The 'Black Knight' Iris is a rhizomatous perennial plant that develops from spring in elegantly upright clumps, with its foliage disappearing in winter. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over centuries, whose controversial origin is debated around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It should be noted that Garden Iris have European origins. They are plants that thrive in limestone soils and require plenty of sunlight, with the rhizomes needing to 'bake' in summer in order to flower. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

'Black Knight' will reach approximately 75cm (30in) in height when in flower, with multiple buds per stem. The clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the centre rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long and wide sword-shaped leaves, with a slightly glaucous green colour, traversed by parallel veins. It is a mid-season variety: in April, floral stems appear that will give flowers blooming from the top to the lower branches during the month of May. The intense colour of this plant is, as always with Garden Iris, enhanced by the thick and iridescent texture of the floral parts. At the base of each sepal, towards the heart of the flower, there is a small hairy beard of golden to bronze colour.

To accompany irises, choose plants to associate with them based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their "respectful" growth towards irises (low plants or light foliage), and their decorative complementarity (appearance, flowering date). For example, Gaura will provide little shade to the irises and will keep the deflowered iris bed attractive throughout the summer. Eschscholzia will thrive in a dry summer soil, just like the iris. Geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also go very well with irises. Slopes and terraced edges will be stabilized by a dense planting of old diploid varieties that can remain in place and require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for care is possible, you can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that will be less likely than the tall ones to be literally laid flat on the ground by the wind and rain.